Minister silent on $300 million advance to contractor

Jul 21, 2010 News

Revelations that the heavy duty road building equipment for the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project would arrive today, will not materialise.
When contacted yesterday for an update Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, said that he is advised that the equipment is to arrive in Guyana this Saturday.
The Minister said that he is willing to facilitate having the media present when the equipment arrives and allow for photographs to be taken.
He declined to comment on the $300 million (US$1.5 million) advance to the contractor Makeshwar Fip Motilall to purchase the equipment when no advance should have been given.
The Minister reassured that at that time, he would be willing to provide further details on the issue.
When asked if all of the required designs were submitted and if any had been approved as yet Minister Benn said that he was not in a position to verify.
The new start-up date for construction of the actual road has now been pushed back to some time in August.
From the time Synergy Holdings Incorporated whose President is Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall was awarded the contract, several questions were raised as it relates to his ability to undertake the project.
As early as May this year when asked about ‘Fip’ Motilall and the road contract, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon said that Motilall, “in billiard terms” was behind the eight-ball.
The term was a clear suggestion that Motilall was in a difficult position from which it is unlikely he would escape.
Motilall had eight weeks after the start date of the execution of the contract, which was April 15, to survey the site for the road and present a plan.
Motilall has reportedly already imported four all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and an excavator.
conducted to test the base.
The project includes some 110km of virgin road through the forest as well as 85km of road where trails already exist.
According to the agreement signed with NICIL, Motilall must produce a continuous, all-weather road to be built incorporating existing roads where possible and building new ones as needed to accommodate automobile, bus, and heavy truck access from Georgetown to Amaila Falls. However, the timeframe for the completion of the road seems impractical, a senior engineer opined. According to the engineer, completing 110 km of road in eight months (240 days) means constructing some quarter of a mile of finished road daily, a tall order if one is to clear virgin forest.
Motilall is also responsible for the construction and supply of a pontoon crossing on each bank of the Essequibo River at or in the vicinity of Butakari and on the Kuribrong River at or in the vicinity of Portage Falls in accordance with the specifications set out.
The pontoon must be capable of carrying a minimum of 100 tonnes.
The roads (whether new or existing) must also be capable to carry 20 tonnes/axle with the design maximum unit carrying capacity of 100 tonnes.
All roads must also be stabilized and capped with a minimum six inches of laterite or similar materials compacted to 95 per cent proctor and suitable for use as the final wear surface.
The Request For Proposal is described as a rather loose document given that it did not demand that the bidder have equipment, machinery or experience.
Motilall eventually submitted the lowest bid from among four tenders submitted. The team found that he was a most responsible bidder.

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Minister silent on $300 million advance to contractor

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