T&T firm that ‘screwed up’ Conversation Tree project blacklisted from Govt. projects

T&T firm that ‘screwed up’ Conversation Tree project blacklisted from Govt. projects – VP Jagdeo

Aug 10, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said that the Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) firm that had its contract terminated for failing to complete the Conversation Tree road project, will not be getting any further government contracts.

The VP made the revelation during his weekly press conference where he stated that the government has already recovered all its resources from that contractor.

It was reported in the media that the Guyana Government was forced to terminate the contract it signed with a Trinidad and Tobago firm for the western section of the Conversation Tree Road project following months of delays and other setbacks.

The government through the Ministry of Public Works has now engaged the other contractor who was working on another section of the road to complete the remaining works.

At his latest press conference, the VP told the media, “The Trinidadian contractor will not get any more work because they have already not completed this work, we have made it clear we terminated a contract. This contractor was working at the airport (CJIA) too, we had difficulties there. We made it clear that’s how we treat them.”

Kaieteur News had reported that the $1.8 billion road project which entails the construction of a four-lane carriageway from the East Coast Highway to Delhi Street, a double-lane carriageway on the reserve west of Delhi Street for northbound traffic, concrete revetments between the East Coast Demerara Highway and Railway Embankment with concrete drains on both sides of the proposed roadway between the railway embankment and Delhi Street, and two large concrete bridges to create a link to Dennis Street, is divided into two lots.

The project which was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office last year saw that Lot 8A of the project was awarded to S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc. to the tune of $1,066, 358,738, while Lot 8B was awarded to Trinidad’s Kallco Guyana Inc. to the tune of $830,293,458.

It was reported that in June this year, the contract with Kallco was discontinued. Responding to questions posed by Opposition MP David Patterson on the project, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill revealed last month that the contractor was then paid $465,223,474 which translates as 56% of the contract sum for advance work.

Edghill further revealed that no liquidated damages or other penalties were applied, since the government reached an “amicable settlement” with the contractor. The minister claimed too that his ministry took possession of $153, 600, 000, worth of equipment from the company to cover the recovery of the outstanding monies owed on the advance payments.

Further, in response to Patterson, Minister Edghill revealed that a new contract was awarded to S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc via sole sourcing to the tune of $844,027,988.

Meanwhile, as it relates to an airport project, back in August 2021, Minister Edghill had witnessed the signing of a contract with Kallco Guyana Incorporated valued over $513.7 million for the construction of an office building there at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

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Bharrat Jagdeo, firm, setbacks, Trinidad & Tobago (T&T), Vice President (VP)

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