Andrews’ sea defence project completion snafu

Jan 15, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

In a KN article of January 12, Chief Engineer Sawh of BK International Incorporated (BKII) alleged that instructions from the former Minister of Public Infrastructure (MPI) caused delay in completion of the $124M sea defence project at Andrews (SDPA) on the Essequibo Coast.
The project was to have been completed by August 2020 but to date, it is claimed that only 15 percent of contract work has been done while the contractor, BKII has received 70 percent of the contract cost paid for material costs for the foundation.
The SDPA contract document probably states the distribution of payment to BKII for the various items of work done, materials supplied and/or percentage of partial payment for work completed. My experience on a rip-rap sea defence project is that boulders are the most expensive material used and not geotextile fabric or sand. Therefore, the lack of fabric in constructing SDPA may have delayed its completion but could not account for 70 percent of contract cost since no invoice was submitted to show the cost of the fabric transferred to Dantzig.
BKII had two distinct and separate contracts with the MPI. BKII claims that SDPA was delayed because the fabric it had on site was diverted on instructions from the former Minister, MPI, for use to close the breach at Dantzig, East Coast Demerara. This may well have been so but there were shortages of other vital materials such as sand and boulders at SDPA, which BKII Engineer Sawh claims were necessary for constructing the foundation slope to lay the rip rap boulders. After all, construction work on any rip-rap slope has to be done at low tide and therefore sections of it have to be prepared, completed and protected between tides.
BKII claims that the Dantzig breach was sealed in 40 days, and despite shipping delays, the re-ordered geotextile fabric was received in September 2020. Therefore, it is puzzling as to why it took months to get the material to SDPA to commence work further delaying completion of the project and after all the hullabaloo, Engineer Sawh has stated that if good weather prevails, the contract could be completed within six weeks.
BKII has had 30 years of checkered history in completing Government awarded construction projects on time, within contract costs and in accordance with the required specifications. Among the contracts that stand out are those for the Georgetown sea wall and the East Bank Demerara road upgrade.
Finally, before payment was made to BKII for SDPA contract work done, an estimate for payment should have been made by MPI. The Construction Supervisor should have prepared a payment schedule based on the contract document for work done and materials supplied. Therefore, Minister Indar should investigate what 70 percent of the contract sum was paid for and whether it was done in accordance with the contract documents.

Yours truly,
Charles Sohan

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