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FM
Former Member

Education Ministry unequipped to deal with school infrastructure

Dear Editor,

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon in his cabinet press briefing on September 23, stated that some contractors were deliberately under-bidding Government projects to win contracts only to return later with lame excuses to justify the need for contracts cost increases, thereby causing bona fide contractors to be cheated out of Government contracts.

It is unfortunate that this statement belie the facts as contracts costs increases are due to many complex factors outside the dictates of the contractor. Experienced contractors before bidding, review contract documents in great detail and are quick to recognise omissions in the bill of quantities as well as changes which have to be made to the plans and specifications during construction if the project is to fulfill its requirements. Therefore they low bid on listed items of work and jack-up the costs for variations (Change Orders) which enables them at the end of their contract when the pluses and minuses are tallied, to generate a profit. These variations which are necessary for project completion have to be negotiated and approved by the Government before payments are made to the contractor.

The Kato Primary School in Region 8 was awarded for construction to the lowest bidder (not the lowest evaluated bidder) at a cost of $780M in April 2013 with a completion date of April 2015. The Engineer’s estimate for the project was $680M. As of September 2015, construction costs had increased to over $1.0B and is still rising. Construction time overrun is over five months with no specific project completion date.

It was noted that the KPS project cost increases and contract time extensions were recommended in the first instance by the Government’s Consultant for supervision of project works and then submitted for approval by the Government officer overseeing construction of the project for the responsible Ministry. If there was no collusion between these Government employees, then Minister Harmon should have been aware that the payments made for extra work and the additional time given to the Contractor for KPS project were legitimate and have nothing to do with under-bidding and shady contractors’ tactics as was claimed.

Experience has shown that if a project is poorly designed and its contract documents ill prepared there will be many variations during construction resulting in project cost increase. The contractor is entitled to be paid extra for all works above and beyond those listed in his bill of quantities for which he tendered and for any time extension due to construction delay caused by the Government. It is inconceivable therefore that the Consultant for construction services did not alert the APNU/AFC Govt. in his periodic reports which must have been submitted during the past five months that this KPS project was incurring large costs and time overruns. Neither were accompanying recommendations given for remedial action which should have been taken to slow and/or eliminate their increases. Despite these and other supervisory lapses the APNU/AFC Government has given this Consultant a contract time extension and will be paying a further $4.2 million for his services while project costs continue to escalate with no completion date in sight.

It is evident that the Education Ministry lacks the competency to design, prepare tender documents and supervise the construction of schools. Therefore, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, should seriously consider re-organising this Ministry and to establish a School Construction Division staffed with qualified personnel to provide architectural and engineering services to design and build schools as well as the other educational facilities under his portfolio to generally accepted standards and with the Division directly answerable to him for its performance.

Yours faithfully,

Charles Sohan

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by Django:

Did you read the letter????you becoming like

a christmas blo..blo

What a waste of sperm that guy is dam. yugi the shit spreader, that should be his nic. senor shitspreader.

 

HERE YUGI, THIS IS IN THE SAME ARTICLE. YOU ARE ASHAMED NOW AREN'T YA DAM ARSE WIPE?

The Kato Primary School in Region 8 was awarded for construction to the lowest bidder (not the lowest evaluated bidder) at a cost of $780M in April 2013 with a completion date of April 2015. (the thieves were in at that time, remember?)The Engineer’s estimate for the project was $680M. As of September 2015, construction costs had increased to over $1.0B and is still rising. Construction time overrun is over five months with no specific project completion date.

It is inconceivable therefore that the Consultant for construction services did not alert the APNU/AFC Govt. in his periodic reports which must have been submitted during the past five months that this KPS project was incurring large costs and time overruns. Neither were accompanying recommendations given for remedial action which should have been taken to slow and/or eliminate their increases.

cain
Last edited by cain

If the PPP government was strict with contractors and not take kickbacks, why was a new school in Upper Mazaruni had an incomplete concrete floor, that was written off with the MOE as completed and an NGO had to ship 100 sacks of cement from Georgetown to complete the floor.

 

After the contractor wrote the school off as completed, why was the water tanks mounted lower then the inside toilets, making them inoperative.

 

Contractor : Joseph Allen

Supervisor : Lall

 

They used village volunteer labourers, when they had  full contractor/payment to build the school.

 

Jagdeo was their corrupt leadership.       

Tola

Yuji, I will not reply to your Jagdeo Dhall, because it looks like, as Cain described so well, PPP shit.

But there is a famous black guy on GNI who conned the phrase ' De-Nile is the longest river in Africa'.

Me see dat river in  Uganda and it looks like you  and you family, with an alligator face trying to eat the PPP with a red shirt.

 

Even in suicide, spin it any way you want like an AH, but it will not change the PPP as the most corrupt bunch of thieves in Guyana.

 

You come back with an unrelated stupid remark and I am sending you to the PPP pasture wid Rohee goats.    

Tola
Originally Posted by baseman:

The PNC is correct on this.  The lowest bidder is not always the right bid.  Govt engineers need to evaluate the bids to ensure they are realistic and be awarded based on credibility.  Also, anyone screwing up a contract should be barred for five-years from participating.

This place Guyana  is another story. Yes, low bids accepted then variations have to be made. Everyone wants to make a "raise" The engineers are part of the scheme. If we were to get rid of the corruption and inefficiencies, we will have 50 percent more money to spend on Guyanese.

Z
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:

You guys are missing the point and deviate from the Issue at hand.

The point is this is corruption under the PPP/C that the APNUAFC has to deal with. YUGI is drinking shit and spewing it.

It is no longer under the PPP.  The PNC inherited the problem which they are reluctant in correcting. It looks like the money still being passed under the table.  

R
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:

You guys are missing the point and deviate from the Issue at hand.

The point is this is corruption under the PPP/C that the APNUAFC has to deal with. YUGI is drinking shit and spewing it.

It is no longer under the PPP.  The PNC inherited the problem which they are reluctant in correcting. It looks like the money still being passed under the table.  

PNC are bigger alleged thieves.

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:

You guys are missing the point and deviate from the Issue at hand.

The point is this is corruption under the PPP/C that the APNUAFC has to deal with. YUGI is drinking shit and spewing it.

It is no longer under the PPP.  The PNC inherited the problem which they are reluctant in correcting. It looks like the money still being passed under the table.  

PNC are bigger alleged thieves.

LOL... you right no proof.

Django
Originally Posted by Nehru:

ANYTHING THE PNC AND HOUSE SLAVES TOUCH TURNS TO FILTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

PNC has KoKoBeah.

 

PNC Part Two destroyed rice in less than six months and appointed a Minister who never set foot in a Rice Field.

 

KoKoBeah Greenidge who destroyed Guyana in PNC part one is the biggest contributor for the destruction of the Rice Industry. He was supposed to secure market for Guyana's rice.

 

What a bunch of PNC KoKoBeah !

 

PNC KoKoBeah:

 

Unknown

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FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by yuji22:

Tola sounds like a Dhall Ghotney while the PNC is destroying Guyana.

 

The rice industry was killed instantly by the PNC which appointed a Minister who never set foot in a rice field.

 

You don't seem to care cause you are on the last lap. You better open up your eyes and stop Ghotay Dhall:

 

 

 

Unknown-1

yuji, shame on you for putting your old dhal gutney and stained pot on display for the world to see. You claim you drive a Benz but a donkey-cart man has better dhal gutney than yours.

FM
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by Ramakant-P:

You guys are missing the point and deviate from the Issue at hand.

The point is this is corruption under the PPP/C that the APNUAFC has to deal with. YUGI is drinking shit and spewing it.

It is no longer under the PPP.  The PNC inherited the problem which they are reluctant in correcting. It looks like the money still being passed under the table.  

In other words the hilited is true?

cain
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by yuji22:

Tola sounds like a Dhall Ghotney while the PNC is destroying Guyana.

 

The rice industry was killed instantly by the PNC which appointed a Minister who never set foot in a rice field.

 

You don't seem to care cause you are on the last lap. You better open up your eyes and stop Ghotay Dhall:

 

 

 

Unknown-1

yuji, shame on you for putting your old dhal gutney and stained pot on display for the world to see. You claim you drive a Benz but a donkey-cart man has better dhal gutney than yours.

No Not a Benz. Ow man, I gotta get rid ah mine now, dam!

cain

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