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Eccles Health Centre construction…REO withholds contractor’s payment over inferior zinc sheets
–former regional engineer still to turn over project documents
Regional Executive Officer, Pauline Lucas has no intention of paying the contractor who outfitted the Eccles Health Centre with inferior zinc sheets.
Lucas made the declaration to Councillors during the monthly meeting of Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
According to Lucas, she has explained several times to the contractor that he must replace the zinc sheets with the correct ones. However, she reported that the contractor doesn’t seem to be interested in correcting this flaw.
As such, she has no intention of paying him until he delivers what the contract states.
According to the REO, she has no intention of conceding to the contractors, Mario and Marlon Andrews of Vision’s General Construction Services. The contract was awarded for $27 million and the health centre was slated to be completed by the end of June.
Regional Executive Officer (REO), Pauline Lucas addressing Regional Councillors.
However, despite extensions, the contractor has failed to complete the project. This has attracted serious concerns from a number of Councillors.
During a visit to the site some months ago, Lucas raised concerns as to why the contractor was utilising 28 gauge zinc sheets and not the 26 gauge which was in the bill of quantities.
It was pointed out that the 26 gauge is a superior quality and standard zinc sheet to the cheaper 28 gauge, which was used by the contractor.
Lucas told the councillors that the contractor was not issued with any directive to stop or cease work on the building, but rather to remove the zinc sheets.
“Recognising that he had the wrong zinc sheets on I told him that he may proceed with the work on the building, but that the zinc sheets had to be changed. He requested a payment but I told him that I cannot pay him unless the work has been examined and verified by the engineer,” she said.
There are other issues which have developed that could cause the project to be further delayed.
Lucas noted that the engineer who had responsibility for the project, Yogesh Narain upon his departure had not handed over all the relevant documents. This, she stressed has resulted in the current Engineer, Eon Austin encountering a number of challenges.
Former regional engineer, Yogesh Narain
“Engineer Austin’s work has been made more difficult because when Mr. Narain left the job he had not handed over some documents; for instance, the complete Bill of Quantity (BQ), among a number of other things,” she said.
She noted that the Region placed some systems in place to rectify the situation, which she noted has been working.
Lucas stated that the contractor indicated to her that he had done some additional work and as such, he needed his payment. However, she said that she informed the contractor that the engineer now assigned to the project is seeking to have some issues clarified with the former engineer so as to determine the status of several issues.
“It was brought to my attention that some of the previous evaluations done by the previous engineer, Narain, were wrong and this was only brought to my attention after Engineer Austin took over the project,” REO Lucas argued.
She stressed that she will not issue any payment to any contractor without first ensuring that all procedures are followed and that there is adequate justification.
“While I know that the contractor wants an additional payment, I will not pay until the zinc sheets are fully changed and engineer Austin would have done a true assessment and a true evaluation of the work that has been done so far,” she declared.
“I don’t want at any stage that we would have overpaid any contractor as I have a responsibility and I will ensure that I maintain my position.
I have made my position clear to the contractor that he cannot receive any additional payment until he fixes the roof with the zinc sheets, and the Engineer would have reviewed and certified the work done,” the REO said.
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