How the NIS Corriverton branch costs $69M…There was a $6.5M roof

Sep 25, 2011 News

-$55,000 provisioned for nail heads sealing

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) estimated that a roof for its single-storey branch at Corriverton, Berbice, would have cost them a whopping $6,453,880, according to a released Engineer’s Estimate document.
Roof sheeting alone would have amounted to $1,680,000 while $2,524,160 was earmarked for V-joint groove and tongue wood to frame the roof.

$6.5M roof of the NIS $69M branch at Corriverton, Berbice.

The roof costs did not include gutters and even had $55,000 provisioned for ‘sealing of all nail heads’.
The revelations were contained in an Engineer’s Estimate released to this newspaper by NIS.
There have been numerous questions about how the large sum of money was spent. Over the past weeks, the newspaper has been publishing photographs of sections of the NIS Corriverton branch and highlighting some of the questionable costs contained in an Engineer’s Estimate.
That Engineer’s Estimate for the construction was just over $50M.
There were several questionable estimated costs with a generator hut costing almost $2.7M and a lavatory costing $2.8M.
And there are more. According to the Bill of Quantities described as ‘Rainwater Goods and Cold Water Distribution’, plumbing for five toilets, toilet sets, face sinks, gutters and three Tuff Tanks and gutter works all came up to an astounding $1,377,300.
The Tuff Tanks, costing an average of $30,000, were listed at $60,000 each.
One toilet set was estimated at $55,000 with the five adding up to $275,000.
Gutters and downpipes for the 40 feet by 60 feet building alone were estimated to cost almost $400,000.
It will be recalled that following the announcement that the NIS branch cost $69M and the subsequent questions that arose, Kaieteur News published pictures of three homes which were built for staffers and which cost less than $7M each.
The newspaper had requested from Head of the Presidential Secretariat and NIS Chairman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, the details of the costs of that $69M facility.
Dr. Luncheon, in turn, requested that the newspaper provide the Bills of Quantities for these homes.
The newspaper and the Office of the President then exchanged documents with the latter providing the Engineer’s Estimate for the NIS Building.
In a letter to the newspaper, Dr. Luncheon has promised to provide the bids documents, the Bills of Quantities. However, there no documentation on the actual costs, only the projected Engineer’s Estimate was provided.

The Bill of Quantities on this Engineer’s Estimate provided by NIS projected the roof cost to be around $6.5M.

Kaieteur News later discovered that the contract for the controversial high-priced $69M Corriverton branch was not awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). The contract was instead, in all likelihood, awarded by NIS. It was unclear whether there were other bidders involved in the process.
In light of the many questions, Kaieteur News had offered to conduct an on-site post-construction audit to determine whether the $69M was well spent.
The newspaper has also asked for a copy of the engineering drawings, which was never provided by the government and copy of the payment certificates detailing the work completed that was paid for.
There has not been a response as yet from government.

6 thoughts on “How the NIS Corriverton branch costs $69M…There was a $6.5M roof”

woodant September 25, 2011 at 4:54 am

kaieteur news i think it’s time you stop with this nis thging…the whole of guyana knows that it is totally impossible for that building to cost so much.look for new news to give to your readers.
1. MarkBarlow September 25, 2011 at 6:16 pm
  
  yes thats true
Guest September 25, 2011 at 10:49 am

Those zinc sheet best made out of Gold, for 6.5 Million, i could build a better looking low flat home like that in guyana.
bl_666 September 25, 2011 at 11:04 am

“There has not been a response as yet from government.”

– – Don’t hold your breath!
GuyaneseStarfish September 25, 2011 at 11:58 am

that is the amount of money that a house with the same roof cost
claude50 September 26, 2011 at 10:57 am

Roof that cost such money ..would never leak …..