GT&T accuses BK Int’l of deliberately misrepresenting facts

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T) has expressed “considerable concern” over what it said is the unethical attempt by BK International Inc. to deliberately misrepresent the facts surrounding his company’s damage of GT&T’s cable infrastructure at Diamond, East Bank Demerara on Tuesday. “We categorically reject the distortions emanating from BK International Inc.,” the telephone company said in a statement earlier this week.

GT&T said the facts of the matter are:
i) The location of (Tuesday’s) cable damage is entirely outside of the area where GT&T and the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) have agreed that GT&T will carry out contract works at this point in time.

ii) BK International uprooted a structurally sound pole and in the process damaged our buried cable infrastructure.
iii) The cable infrastructure could not remain exposed. As such, GT&T had to replace the pole almost immediately.
iv) GT&T informed the competent authority, Works Services Group of the Ministry of Public Works, of the circumstances surrounding (Tuesday’s) cable damage and we are aware that the Group made contact with the contractor.
“As we have said before, our counterpart in Government road construction activities is the Ministry of Public Works and not any individual contractor,” GT&T stressed.
“Therefore, while we remain ready and willing to collaborate with all road construction contractors, our preference is to continue to work through the ministry rather than trade accusations with any contractor via the media,” GT&T added.

Meanwhile, BK International is challenging the Ministry of Public Works to support its charge that the GT&T cable damaged recently was in an area not assigned to BK by the Consultants.
In a statement issued on Friday, BK International said: “The Ministry of Public Works made this claim in a statement issued on September 17. On the same day GT&T also issues a statement charging that “The location of yesterday’s cable damage is entirely outside of the area where GT&T and the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) have agreed that GT&T will carry out contract works at this point in time.”
“While BK is not always privy to the arrangements between MPW and GT&T, BK is satisfied that the area where the pole fell and cable damaged, on Tuesday 16 September, was within an area cleared for construction works.”
“On September 5, the Consultants circulated Minutes of the Progress Meeting held at the Ministry’s Boardroom on August 27. In section 9.3 of the Minutes the Contractor’s plans for September are clearly outlined and section 9.4 outlines the Delays/Constraints to the proposed work. The contractor proposed, among others, to work in an area defined as Km4+200 to Km4+600. The identified constraint was GT&T buried cables between Km4+200 to Km4+580. “

“The area where BK was working on Tuesday, September 16 was Km4+580 to Km4+600, well outside the area of constraint. The GT&T fallen pole is located at Km4+595. “
“With this information established, BK international also calls on GT&T to withdraw its charge that BK is being “unethical” and “deliberately misrepresenting the facts.” The facts are as stated above and the media can ask the Ministry of Public Works for a copy of the Minutes of the August 2014 Progress Meeting which substantiate the statements contained here.”
“BK International Managing Director, Brian Tiwarie, said today “the problem with this East Bank Expansion Project is that the Ministry of Public Works is not doing a good job of management and supervision and as a result the work is constantly being extended by delay after delay.” Mr. Tiwarie added that, “… at this rate the project may extend to 2015 or beyond. As a company we continue to lose money on equipment and labour stationed on the East Bank every time there is a delay.”