Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has told the Committee of Supply that his ministry has formally flagged roughly 30 contractors as delinquent and has referred their names to the National Procurement Board, signalling an intention to bar them from future drainage and irrigation work.

Speaking during the consideration of estimates and expenditure on the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Minister Mustapha said the list compiled in the last quarter of 2025 was submitted because the ministry no longer wishes to contract with companies that have underperformed on NDIA projects.

“We listed approximately 30 contractors that we said that we don’t want to do business with them anymore,” he told committee members, adding that the ministry will object if any of those firms attempt to tender for new work.

Responding to questions from APNU member of Parliament, particularly on the Bell Vue pump station, Mustapha noted that the original contractor, the Tepui Group Inc. had completed some works before parts of that contract were subcontracted to GAICO Engineering.

He confirmed that while subcontracting is permitted under the original contract, the primary contractor, Tepui Group in this case, remains contractually accountable and subject to bond claims should obligations not be met.

“We’ll hold him accountable all the time, although we help facilitate the subcontracting, and we are also speaking with the contractor now, he is eventually responsible. Always, the bonds are renewed, and we have a bond there so that we can recoup any cost that he doesn’t abide with.”