Coalition paid 90 percent of Bartica stelling cost for 15 percent of work - says Edghill

Coalition paid 90 percent of Bartica stelling cost for 15 percent of work – says Edghill

Feb 11, 2022 News

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill inspecting works at the Bartica Stelling last year

Kaieteur News – The National Assembly was on Tuesday informed that the APNU + AFC Coalition paid 90 percent of the contract sum for the Bartica stelling, when only 15 percent of the work was completed. This was revealed by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Annette Ferguson, while questioning the minister in the Committee of Supply asked that he disaggregates the sum of $455 million which has been allocated for Leguan, Fort Island and Bartica stellings.
In fact she said, “I know for the fact that Leguan is under construction and also Bartica. You know, y’all inherited a nice stelling there at Bartica from us, modern stellings. So to the honourable member can you provide us a status report on what is happening at both Leguan and Bartica stellings…?”
In response to MP Ferguson, Edghill said, “Mr. Chair I would have thought that the honourable member would avoid asking questions on this. Mr. Chair for the simple reason. Let’s start with Bartica…the total contract sum for Bartica was $434 million and when the PPP administration came into office, 90 percent of the money was already paid and 15 percent of the work was completed.”
According to Edghill, the contractor is not currently engaged at the stelling. He noted that an audit was completed on the stelling and the value of the materials was checked. The minister continued by stating that despite the monies being paid, the people of Bartica still do not have a stelling. “So this budget is making appropriation, this is making appropriation for us to be able to have that stelling completed at Bartica,” Edghill said.
He noted that the PPP administration will be spending $217 million this year and that they will continue next year, for the completion of the Bartica stelling. The minister then moved on to the Leguan stelling in which $168 million will be spent on that. “It’s no secret, it’s no secret. I publicly announced the termination of the contractor at Leguan. Poor performance, and here again he was paid far more than for the work executed,” Edghill said.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.

According to him, the contractor had an involuntary loan, when they came into office. However, he said what was worse was the nature of the contract. “You could imagine a contract says install 400 and something piles and a man was able, whatever is the arrangement that took place in the management of this contract, because the word supply was not written into the contract, the man said the government has to pay to supply it,” the Minister told the House.
To this end he said that every other stelling the same contractor built before, he supplied and installed the piles but for the Leguan contract the government has to supply it as a result of the arrangements with the previous administration.
The Minister stated that the contract was terminated but they later recognised that no other contractor would undertake the work the contractor left undone, which he described as a, “mess.”
As a result, Edghill stated that the Ministry reengaged the said contractor but under a new contractual arrangement, which he described as “strict terms and conditions.”
He added that due to mismanagement, $168 million more of tax payers’ money has to go to fix Leguan stelling.
According to reports, S. Maraj Contracting Services is constructing the Leguan stelling and Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd is working on the Bartica stelling. MP Ferguson then took the floor, and stated that the Bartica stelling was done in two phases and the sums of monies that the Minister referred to was the retention for the first phase of the project. In giving remarks on the $88 million Fort Island stelling project, the minister stated that the project was awarded in the second half of last year and the contractor has already completed 90 percent of the work.