Harbour bridge $1B repair bill for parliamentary scrutiny

Oct 21, 2022 News

– MP, others concerned about sums claimed to have been spent

Kaieteur News – Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has submitted a series of questions to government regarding $1billion price tag for repairs to the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB).

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill had said that the government had spent $1B in three days to repair the bridge, which was damaged when a Panamanian vessel slammed into it on October 8, 2022.

Member of Parliament, David Patterson

Patterson told this newspaper that he has submitted the questions to the National Assembly seeking answers on the sum expended by the government to facilitate the emergency works. Specifically, Patterson has asked that subject Minister, Edghill provide the National Assembly with the list of contractors that operated on the structure during the three days, as well as the contract sums and scope of works for the respective companies.

In a brief comment, the former Minister reasoned, “Like the rest of the nation, I am concerned about the sums of monies claimed to be expended on these repairs over a three-day-period.”

Moreover, he pointed out, “All the materials to effect these repairs were sourced locally, meaning that they were readily available, no special international charters of materials and equipment were required – despite this, the Minister is reporting that they extended over $330M per day.”

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill

Previously, Patterson told this newspaper he believes the amount reported to conduct the repairs was “extremely high”. The DHB was closed off to vehicular traffic for a total of three days, following the incident during the wee hours of the morning on October 8. It was finally reopened to light vehicular traffic on the evening of October 10, after the major repair works were conducted.

It was a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker, MV ‘Tradewinds Passion’, filled with fuel for the Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL) that crashed into the floating structure. While light traffic was allowed over the bridge, Edghill in an update to the press on October 13 pointed out that even though over $1 billion was spent to date, the works were not yet completed.

According to him, “…while everybody is saying that traffic is flowing and moving, they are still working miracles below (conducting repair works underneath the bridge), changing out pontoons and doing all kinds of things while still facilitating movement of people and goods to ensure that commerce is moving…It’s nowhere near finish.”

Meanwhile as it relates to cost of the repairs conducted, Edghill said that bill is “one billion dollars and counting”. He iterated, however, that owners of the vessel will have to foot the costs. So far, Mr. Glenn Lall, the publisher of this newspaper and an advocate for transparency and good governance said that the administration must show how it expended the whopping sum to put the bridge back into operation over a mere three days. He told his viewers and listeners of the Glenn Lall Show last Friday evening that, “The government say them spend over $1 billion to repair it, that is US$5 million. When I heard that figure, I had to leave my office and drive over to the bridge to see if them replaced the damaged steel plates with gold plates.”

The newspaper publisher continued, “how can anyone justify spending $1 billion Guyana dollars in three days? What on God’s earth you can buy for that $1 billion? What work, what machines, what welding could have cost $1 billion in three days?” He was keen to note that the astronomical sum that was used up in three days is equivalent to a seven percent salary increase for an entire year for all public servants in the country but “that is the kind of money the government wants us to believe they spent to patch up the bridge in three days,” the businessman explained.

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