Government will have to pay an additional $10.6 million to complete the beleaguered School Meals Centre project at Six Roads, St Philip, more than ten years after construction began.
According to an update laid before Parliament by the Director of Finance and Economic Affairs Ian Carrington late Thursday, a project manager has been appointed, and work on the facility, which has been halted since July 2016, is expected to get underway soon.
“The Government has concluded that it is important to complete the project. Consequently, it has been determined by an independent quantity surveyor that it will cost approximately $10.60 million more to complete the project, and construction is set to recommence in the current financial year. As such, an amount of $3 million has been provided in this year’s Estimates,” Carrington wrote.
Under the former Democratic Labour Party administration, the School Meals Centre, which was proposed to provide meals to 20 schools and cater to emergency situations in the event of a national disaster, was to be constructed between August 2012 and January 2014, by an undisclosed firm, for $19.9 million.
Part of that figure – $6.66 million – was allocated for the procurement and installation of kitchen equipment.
However, by December 31, 2018, the Government had already spent $23.12 million, inclusive of $7.38 million for the kitchen equipment, on the project.
The slow progress of the construction which was besieged by challenges prompted Auditor General Leigh Trotman to raise red flags in his 2018 report.
“Major hurdles to its construction included late payments to the contractor, disputes between the contractor and contract administrator over the installation of certain pipes, removal of a boat from the land earmarked for the car park, timely procurement and installation of the kitchen equipment, and disputes between the contactor and the Ministry, resulting in a cessation of construction activities in January 2019 (revised construction period). It was then projected that the final cost of construction would be $25.36 million, which was $5.46 million more than had been contracted,” Trotman reported.
According to Carrington, the Ministry of Education engaged an independent quantity surveyor who estimated that an additional $6.5 million, excluding Value Added Tax and professional fees, would be required to complete the centre.
“Cabinet approved the proposal in August 2021. Subsequently, an agreement was reached with the contractor and the project is due to restart shortly. The Ministry of Housing by email dated August 5, 2020, confirmed the removal of the boat from Lot 8, BIDC Estate,” it stated in its response that was published in the Auditor General’s report.
However, in the updated response, a figure of $10.6 million to complete the project was provided.
Carrington also reported that the lengthy disputes with the contractor have been settled and provision has been made to pay the subcontractors. (SD)
