By Richard Bhainie

EXTENSION to the contractual deadline for the completion of rip rap sea defence at Andrews, Essequibo Coast, has been granted twice to contractor BK International, yet only 15 per cent of the project has been completed. This was revealed by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, in a letter to the editor published in the January 13, 2020 edition of the Stabroek News, in response to a letter in the same newspaper by the Chief Executive Officer of BK International, Brian Tiwarie.

The project was slated to commence officially on January 21, 2020, with a duration period of seven months, concluding on August 21, 2020. Indar, in the letter to the editor, explained that in a letter issued on August 17, 2020, a new deadline, October 9, 2020, was set by the Ministry of Public Works for the completion of the project. “It was also mentioned in the letter that the works should be expedited assiduously to have the project completed within the stipulated deadline and failing to satisfy the requirements of the deadline would result in liquidated damages being instituted,” Indar said in his letter.

Indar noted that consequent to inspection of the site conducted by the Ministry of Public Works on September 20, 2020, a letter was issued to BK International for “Non-Performance, reminding the company of the date of completion and its responsibility under Clause 17.2 of the General Conditions of Contract”. In response, a letter dated October 9, 2020 was issued by BK International seeking another extension of the deadline for the completion of the said works, reason attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Public Works then issued a new date, December 31, 2020, for the completion of the project.“On December 28, 2020 BK International wrote seeking a further extension, stating that the heavy rainfall was the reason for the project being incomplete and asking for another extension until January 31, 2021,” Indar explained in his letter. He added: “The ministry did not facilitate this request since the contractor had breached his timeline and had defaulted on the performance of the work more than once.”

During a visit to the site in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), on Sunday, Minister Indar discovered that a mere 15 per cent of the project has been completed. Based on documents seen by the Guyana Chronicle, the contract was awarded in the sum of $124.8 million under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration. And, of this amount, some 70 per cent has already been paid over to the contractor. Minister Indar denounced the contractor’s lackadaisical attitude towards the execution of the crucial and urgently-needed works, expounding that it is to the detriment of residents, who are left to suffer. Considering this and other delayed projects being undertaken by BK, the minister elucidated that he intends to take stern action against this contractor.