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Guyanese Critic completed 10% work on pump station contract, after collecting $182M-Agri Minister
Kaieteur News-The Guyanese Critic-owned TEPUI Group Inc, the company that was handed a contract to build the Belle Vue Pump Station has only completed 10 percent of the work even though the contractor had already collected some $182 million, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha has said.
This was disclosed during the examination of the estimates for the Ministry of Agriculture last week Friday in the National Assembly.
The Belle Vue pump station project site during a visit by the Auditor’s General Office in August 2024. (Guyanese Critic completed 10% work)
Mustapha was grilled on the completion date of the project as well as the amount of money released to the contractor. Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul had asked the minister to provide an update on the pump station, noting that “nothing is really happening there, and I know that it’s still within the contract period, but is there any update you can provide us in terms of, where, how, what is the new completion date and so on?”
Minister Zulfikar informed the House that the completion date for the project has not changed. “It’s still under the contract period, and it’s about 10% work have already been completed there.”
He was then asked to provide the date by which the project was supposed to be completed, as well as monies collected. He informed the National Assembly that the project is slated to be completed by July or August and that the correct date would be provided. “However, the contractor was paid mobilisation, advance and material, sheet, pile, and, I believe, timber. He was paid $182 million,” Mustapha said.
The contract was first awarded on August 14, 2023 for the sum $865.544 million which had corresponded with the amount stated in the Contractor’s Bid Form and priced bills of quantities. However, this award was rescinded and a second award was made on September 15, 2023 to the same contractor for an increased sum of $870.564 million which is $5 million higher than the sum stated in the contractor’s bid. On October 12 2024 this publication reported that the Auditor’s General 2023 Report revealed that eight months after its commencement date, TEPUI Group Inc. owned by Mikhail Rodrigues also known as ‘Guyanese Critic’ had done no work.
(Guyanese Critic completed 10% work on pump station contract, after collecting $182M-Agri Minister)
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