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How NIS Berbice Branch costs $69M…There was this $2.8M public convenience toilet
A public toilet facility at the controversial Corriverton branch of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) was estimated at an overpriced $2.8M, released documents have indicated.
The toilet facilities, according to the Engineer’s Estimate released by government, are 13.33 feet long, 12.92 feet wide and nine feet high. There were three cubicles with two for the public.
Front view of the “public” toilet facilities at the controversial $69M NIS branch at Corriverton, Berbice.
Glaringly, each toilet set was estimated at $55,000. Four were provisioned for but there were only three cubicles. It was unclear where the extra toilet set was going.
For this structure, the roof sheeting was estimated $195,000 while plumbing…$260,000.
The Bill of Quantity also said that roof sheeting should be of 26-guage, a thicker more expensive material.
Again, we are publishing the Bills of Quantities and the photographs of the toilet facilities.
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.
Back and side view of the public toilet facilities which NIS said would cost $2.8M to build.
On Tuesday, last week, media workers including Kaieteur News Publisher Glenn Lall and Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris were both refused entry to that Corriverton branch.
The security on recognizing the newsmen immediately shut the gates and later disclosed that NIS’ General Manager, Doreen Nelson, had ordered that they be kept out.
The Branch Manager, Louise Bryan, was seen hiding at the back of the NIS building.
The Engineer’s Estimate for the entire project was $50,667,948. Based on this estimate, tenders later went out for local contracting firms to submit bids.
Government, who commissioned that Corriverton facility late last month, said that the completed structure cost NIS $69M.
In light of the many questions, Kaieteur News over the weekend 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.
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