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13 contractors bid lower than engineer’s $8M estimate for AG’s parking shed
Kaieteur News – Following a recent invitation for bids to construct a parking shed at the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Chambers of the Attorney General’s office, 13 out of the 14 contractors who responded, submitted bids lower than the engineer’s $8,053,437 estimate.
The current parking shed at the Ministry of Legal Affairs’ office
The opening of bids for the project occurred on Tuesday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.
At the opening, it was revealed that the 13 contractors submitted bids ranging from $6.5 million to $7.8 million. The bids for the project are as follows: Genesis General Construction – $8,217,279; Krishna Ramdeen & Sons Construction – $6,805,785; VMR Investment – $7,690,662; DR Engineering – $6,519,360; OB General Construction & Supply-$7,800,000; Andrect Engineering & Construction – $6,995,940; AKP Contracting – $7,744,979; Modern Engineering Supply & Services – $7,391,843; K. Ramdial Construction & Services – $6,708,502; Randolph Taylor Construction – $7,614,275; Rohit Persaud Construction Services & Lumbering – $7,217679; OG’s General Service -$7,474,236; BM Property Investment Inc. – $7,861,455; and Extreme General Construction & Supply – $6,945,120.
Kaieteur News had previously carried an article stating that the estimated cost for the project is almost two times the cost for a turn-key home.
Sources had told this publication that the ministry is tearing down the old shed and is replacing it with a bigger one to accommodate more vehicles. The source too had raised concerns about the cost of the shed and even called it “ridiculous.”
“Why would you build a parking shed for such a high cost, when people can’t get houses? Some persons have lands and can’t even afford to build a house and you are spending $8M on a shed,” the source added.
It was also explained that the current shed has a low roof that is damaging large vehicles. “But this could be easily remedied. Just raise the roof, why spend so much money on a project like this? It is not like it was earning the ministry anything…” the source pointed out.
The current structure is supported by at least 20 2×4 posts cemented to the ground and standing at an estimated height of at least 10 feet.
As the ministry embarks on this project, it should be noted that the money, which was stated as the estimated cost, can build a 20 by 30 foot turn-key home with inside toilet and bath facilities and still have a minimum of $3M remaining.
Responding to that article, the Attorney General Chambers in a statement had noted that a simple enquiry from the ministry or an examination of the bid documents would have provided the relevant information that the reporter needed.
“Such resorts would have revealed that the current parking shed is decades old, is dilapidated and unless demolished or repaired, would damage government and private vehicles parked under it. It is made of wood and zinc both of which are rotting. Rather than repair such a derelict structure or replacing with similar materials, the management of the Ministry prudently decided to construct a parking shed made completely out of steel, cemented to the ground. Such a structure will last, at a minimum of two decades, once properly maintained as opposed to one made of wood and zinc which requires annual maintenance,” the statement read.
According to the ministry the proposed shed is approximately 200 feet in length by 19 feet in width. “This is larger than the current structure and will accommodate several more vehicles, as more space for parking is badly needed. The design and bill of quantities was prepared free of cost by engineers at the Ministry of Public Works. If any sensible person examines the acquisition costs of the steel and concrete needed, coupled with transportation, fabrication and labour required to carry out the works at prevailing rates in the country, that person would conclude that the sum of $8 million is quite a reasonable sum for such a project,” the ministry said in its defense.
It was reported in September 2020 that the current government had earmarked an area at Perseverance located behind Providence, East Bank Demerara to construct turn-key homes for low-income families. The Ministry of Housing and Water had back then stated that each of the turn-key homes will cost $4.4M or $4.9M and includes two bedrooms, an inside toilet and bath with a kitchen sink.
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