– says cables and pipes continue to delay road work
– calls on Public Works Ministry to push GT&T and GWI

CONTRACTOR, BK International Group, has reportedly lost over $50M on the East Bank Four-Lane expansion as a result of delays caused by utilities that have not been removed in a timely manner since the signing of the contract and the commencement of work in 2012.
BK Group, in a statement yesterday, said it has noted the responses of both GWI and GT&T to its concerns that their water pipes and telephone cables, respectively, continue to hold up the completion of road work at the Diamond section of the East Bank Four-Lane expansion.

“Both companies have resorted to giving project histories, with varying degrees of inaccuracy, while charging BK Group with damaging their facilities,” the Group stated.
BK, however, said it will not be drawn into a public argument over the history of the project.

“The bottom line for BK is that water pipes and telephone cables remain in place today delaying the completion of the road works even further,” the company said.

“In an effort to clarify statements made by our Project Engineer, Julian Archer, we wish to reiterate the facts presented to the media during the site visit on Monday,” BK stated.

Mr. Archer said that there were two problems affecting the completion of the project, (1) the removal of GT&T cables, and (2) the removal of GWI pipelines. Mr. Archer added that numerous complaints were made in an effort to have the pipes and cables removed.

Both GWI and GT&T point to the Ministry of Public Works as the source of the delays in the removal of the utilities but the BK Group said its “emphasis was not on blaming either company, rather our focus was to highlight these delays given the cost to us as contractor and the continued inconvenience to commuters”.

The BK Group said “immediate removal of the pipes and cables will ensure that there is no damage to critical infrastructure, that citizens are not inconvenienced, and that the road work will be quickly completed to the benefit of our citizens and visitors”.

It said the Ministry of Public Works needs to ensure that this is done.

GT&T SHUNS BLAME
Meanwhile, GT&T said it will, from tomorrow, relocate aerial as well as buried cables to facilitate construction works on the East Bank Demerara Four-Lane Highway Project. It however, denied reports it was contributing to any delays in road works as claimed by BK.
In fact, GT&T said it has suffered extensive damage to its network facilities owing to reckless work practices by the construction firm, which is still to pay the costs for associated relocation works and damage.
On Tuesday, BK International took members of the media on a tour of the project worksite, explaining how GT&T and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) have stalled work on the project. However, the phone company said it was deeply concerned with the claims and categorically denied “these spurious allegations”.
In a statement detailing all the transactions and discussions surrounding the road project, GT&T said it has an obligation to protect the integrity of the national communication infrastructure in the interest of all of its users.
“GT&T remains committed and ready to cooperate with the Ministry of Public Works and all of its contractors in the interest of national development. However, there needs to be reciprocity. If works are to proceed in a timely manner, all parties will need to adhere to established procedures and protocols and timelines established in agreements,” the telephone company said.
GWI, earlier in the week, had also denied any blame.