Barbados Today

The managing director of Preconco Limited, Mark Maloney, says he has no comment to make on charges leveled by Opposition Leader Mia Mottley in Parliament yesterday that his company has been paid exorbitant sums for the construction of low-income Government housing.

In her reply to Monday’s Budget delivered by Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler, Mottley highlighted two housing projects – one at the Grotto, Beckles Road, St Michael and the other at Valery, Brittons Hill, St Michael, which he said should have only cost the Government $200 per square foot, but in the end $548 per square foot or over $20 million each, was paid.

Mottley also questioned the arrangement entered into by Government with Preconco for the construction or repair of three molasses tanks at the Port. She charged that “not only are we [taxpayers] faced with the inordinate, excessive unfair negotiations that has the Government carrying the bag”, but she questioned whether Preconco had any control over the land involved and was therefore in any position to lease it.

Mottley also pointed out that contract had provided that the company or its subsidiary could draw down the lease payments within one year of the commencement of the construction, even if the building of the molasses tanks was not completed.

But when contacted managing director Maloney told Barbados TODAY:“I haven’t heard anything, neither do I have any comment.

“I don’t know what charges she [Mottley] talking about and I don’t have any comment.”

When told that the accusations surrounded a number of Government contracts for which he or his company were paid “excessive amounts, the Preconco head replied: “Not me. Nobody mentioned my name in Parliament, so I don’t know what you talking about . . . . I can’t comment on anything that was discussed in Parliament. I have no comment,” he stressed.