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Govt breaking up highway project
Saturday, August 15 2015
The Solomon Hochoy Highway Project cannot be completed by main contractor, OAS Construtora of Brazil, People’s National Movement leader Dr Keith Rowley has claimed.
Recalling that in 2010, the People’s Partnership (PP) coalition boasted that the $7.5 billion project was “supposed to be finished within budget and within time for the next election,” Rowley scoffed, addressing a public meeting in Maloney on Wednesday night. “Well the next election is here and they are far from finished,” he further declared.
Reminding party supporters the PP negotiated the contract for that project in three days and gave it to OAS Construtora, Rowley remarked, “The next thing we hear, the contractor is filing bankruptcy in Brazil. They are under pressure from corrupting the govt agencies and banking (in Brazil). On March 31, Grupo OAS (OAS Construtora’s parent conglomerate) filed for bankruptcy protection for nine of its units. A Reuters report at that time said the “heavily indebted Brazilian engineering conglomerate” was struggling with an economic slowdown, government austerity, a slumping currency and corruption allegations.
Dismissing statements from the Government that OAS filing for bankruptcy in Brazil would not affect the completion of the highway project, Rowley said, “The Government of TT is now moving post haste to break up the contract into smaller pieces because the main Brazilian contractor can go no further with the project.” He claimed, “The difficult parts of the project, they will now break up and give to local contractors and the Government will pay the local contractors while the Brazilian contractor will hold on to the easy part that is left.” Claiming that “a number of local contractors have now been called in and been asked to price the various components of the project of the contract,” Rowley charged, “OAS has already sucked the juice out of the orange and they are about to give the peel to local contractors.” Efforts to contact Works Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan and Nidco president Dr Carson Charles for comment were unsuccessful.
Government is however expected to officially open the Debe segment of the highway, already in use, today.
Also on Wednesday, Rowley said the Integrity Commission has informed him that his request to investigate the circumstances of the award of a contract to build a wastewater plant in Beetham did not find favour and the matter would not be pursued.
However, Rowley claimed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had ensured that two government ministers who had responsibility for this project were not available when he raised a motion on this issue in the last Parliament.
He also said an unsuccessful bidder on the Beetham project later indicated it had no issue with not getting the contract and received another contract from Government. Referring to the proposed Curepe Interchange Project, Rowley said there was no competitive bidding on that project and contractors were simply allowed to state their price for their respective component. To date, no work has taken place on this project.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/print,0,215647.html
RASC wrote:When PNM brought up that CORRUPT contractor and their dealings ...Kamala and crew told the then opposition to mind they business and udfr.
Now look who has to go clean up that mess.
Isnt the OAS CEO being brought up on several charges internationally?
rfari wrote:Growley categorically stated that the PNM will hold to all contractual obligations made by the UNC.
TriniAutoMart wrote:rfari wrote:Growley categorically stated that the PNM will hold to all contractual obligations made by the UNC.
So Project JDM seeing things that not there then?
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