–potential contractors, including Chinese firm, vetted by multidisciplinary team

AS the government moves to build world-class infrastructure such as a new Demerara Harbour Bridge, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, has affirmed that rigorous and transparent processes will be employed at all times.

“This government is following a rigorous and transparent process which is benefiting from the best available technical advice. Our objective is to ensure that we get world-class infrastructure, in this case, a world-class bridge on the most competitive financial terms,” Dr Singh was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Saturday evening.

His affirmation of the government’s position was in direct response to a recent Alliance For Change (AFC) statement which suggested that negotiations with China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd (CSCEC) — one of the bidders for the contract to construct the bridge – ended abruptly and under suspicious circumstances.

The Chinese contractor was among nine firms that were shortlisted following a public, open and transparent tendering process.

The prequalified entities were Ballast Nedam Infrastructure, Suriname, BV; Odebrecht Engenharia e Construcao SA; Boskalis Guyana; Effiage Genie Civil Company Ltd (Netherlands); Rizzani de Eccher Construction (Italy); CSCEC; China Gezhouba Group Company Limited; JV China Railway International Group; China Road and Bridge Company; and China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd.

Having been identified as the most responsive bidder, CSCEC was engaged by a multidisciplinary team that was created by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

The team comprised Finance Secretary, Sukrishnalall Pasha; attorney-at-law, Ronald Burch-Smith; consultant/engineer, Marcel Gaskin and engineer, Intakab Indarjeet. The team was tasked with focusing on the construction cost and securing the financial terms and conditions that would serve the country’s best interest.

Their mandate was to engage CSCEC to negotiate optimal financial terms and conditions for the construction of the New Demerara River Bridge. The mandate also provided for the negotiation team to engage the second-ranked bidder, should negotiations with the first bidder prove unsuccessful.

To this end, the team commenced negotiations with the CSCEC on December 24, 2021. But, unfortunately, after several meetings, the two sides were unable to successfully negotiate mutually acceptable financial terms and conditions.

It was reported by the News Room that negotiations shifted to the second-ranked bidder on the list of pre-qualified firms.

The negotiation team wrote NPTAB on January 20, 2022, seeking permission to terminate negotiations with CSCEC and commence negotiation with the second-ranked bidder, which is a Joint Venture company between China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited, China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co. Ltd and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co. Ltd Joint Venture.

The tender board approved the request and paved the way for the team to engage the second-ranked bidder.

Negotiations with this company, which commenced on January 28, 2022, are ongoing. Notably, the negotiation team is of the view that any further disclosures about the specifics of these engagements at this time would undermine ongoing deliberations and is, therefore, unprepared to pursue such a course of action.

“It is most unfortunate that the AFC should seek to cast aspersions on this rigorous process that is ongoing. This represents yet another example of the opposition’s obstructive, counter-productive, and destructive behaviour, which, over the years, has been aimed at frustrating, stymying, and derailing development.

“Indeed, Mr. [David] Patterson and the AFC should be the last to speak about transparency and accountability, given their dismal and disastrous track record, including the various scams that saw public funds being used to purchase jewellery and golden adornments for the very Patterson who claimed never to wear such jewellery despite the public availability of dozens of photographs proving otherwise.

“Not to mention the vehicle scale scam and the Harbour Bridge and asphalt plant scam, among many others. The AFC, and Mr Patterson in particular, lacks the moral authority to speak on matters related to public accountability.” Dr Singh concluded.