Courtney Benn bids again for project he failed to complete in 2020

Apr 23, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited, a company that was flagged by the Ministry of Public Works for failing to complete rehabilitative works on the Bartica Stelling, is now bidding again for the same project.

The Bartica Ferry Stelling

Kaieteur News had reported last month that the Ministry through the Transport and Harbours Department had put out a tender for a new contractor to continue the rehabilitation of the Bartica Ferry Stelling which is estimated to cost $572,635,628.
The project was opened for tender on Thursday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the office saw a lone bidder, Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited submitting a proposal of $570,492,695 to execute the works.
The rehabilitation of the Bartica Stelling began under the previous administration—A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change—and it had planned to complete the project in two phases.
Courtney Benn was awarded the contract for the first phase in 2016 by APNU+AFC.
Works on the first phase began in 2017, and was reportedly completed in October 2018. The works done were the demolition and reconstruction of the southern section of the Stelling. The Southern section was reconstructed with support piles made of greenheart for the substructure and also included commercial concessions and a modernised passenger waiting area.
Following the completion of this phase the coalition government publicly tendered for the second phase of the contract and in January 2019 it was awarded to Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited again.
Kaieteur News had reported back then that this phase entailed the extension of the northern section of the Stelling, as a way to accommodate a drawbridge. This newspaper understands that works were expected to be completed in 2020.
It is unclear what works had taken place, but the government changed and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic took office in August 2020. During a visit to the Bartica and Leguan Stellings, the new Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had expressed his disappointment with the pace of work ongoing at two facilities.
The Minister had stated that the projects were inherited by his government from the previous administration and were at a stage of failure and riddled with poor performance and delays.
The Minister had reportedly given the contractors some time to finish off the works as quickly as possible but Courtney Benn had reportedly failed to meet his new deadline and as a result the contract was taken away from him and the current administration decided to retender the project.
In February this year Minister Edghill had told the National Assembly that the total contract sum for the Bartica Stelling was $434 million and that the former administration had paid the contractor 90 percent of this amount when only 15 percent of the work was done.
He then announced to the national assembly that his government will budget more funds to complete the project
In the 2022 budget, the government allocated $455 million for the continued rehabilitation of the Leguan, Fort Island and Bartica Stellings. Of that allocation, $217M would be spent on the Bartica Stelling, and according Edghill the incomplete works left by the flagged contractor will be completed next year.
With the recent development of the default contractor bidding again for the same project, Kaieteur News had asked Edghill if he had refunded any of the money it was paid for the incomplete works. Edghill said that to date, no money was refunded.

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