[www.inewsguyana.com] – BK International says it views with considerable concern the recent statements made by Coordinator of the Works Services Group as it relates to the progress on the expansion of the East Bank Demerara Public Road.
According to a press statement by the Company, in his comments the Coordinator, Geoffrey Vaughn, cast the work and approach of BK International in a negative light, charging that BK International demonstrated poor organizing skills and construction methodology and a lack of human resources in relation to the delay in the road project.
The Company noted that the Ministry of Public Works, the Consultants and GT&T are all aware of the inordinate delays imposed on BK International during the life of this project.
“BK has registered our concerns on a weekly basis in letters to the Consultants and on several occasions highlighted these matters publicly including taking the media on tours to the site to display the cables that were in jeopardy in the construction area.
“The delays have been a significant financial burden to BK International and it is in our interest to have the project completed in the shortest possible time,” the BK statement noted.
In its Press Release of September 19, 2014 BK International Managing Director, Brian Tiwarie, said that “the problem with this East Bank Expansion Project is that the Ministry of Public Works is not doing a good job of management and supervision and as a result the work is constantly being extended by delay after delay.” Mr. Tiwarie added that, “… at this rate the project may extend to 2015 or beyond. As a company we continue to lose money on equipment and labour stationed on the East Bank every time there is a delay.”
Today, January 14, 2014 Mr. Tiwarie said that “If the Coordinator of the Works Services Group had spent the time to iron out the problems between the contractor and GT&T the construction work could have been finished two years ago and there would be no need for him to now be spending time in the media making accusations.”
In an effort to correct “the erroneous information” and defend the accusations, BK International provided the following information:
- Mr. Vaughn acknowledges that GT&T cables have been the primary reason for all of the delays in Lot 3 but failed to state that it has taken 3 years to have all the GT&T cables removed; this activity was only completed on 22nd December, 2014as confirmed by a letter dated 30th December, 2014, from GT&T, addressed to the Coordinator of the WSG.
- In the same letter of 30 December 2014 GT&T indicated to the Coordinator that “there is still a buried cable (50 pairs) comprising of part of DDL’s internal network cable…” that has to be removed. Mr. Roderick Dyer of GT&T in the letter to Mr. Vaughn further stated that there is “potential jeopardy” of the cable being damaged again.
- As of today’s date the discovered DDL underground internal network cable, located from the Diamond bridge to DDL‘s Administration Building, is delaying the completion of road, bridge, kerb and drain works that will facilitate the free flow of double lane traffic on the right hand side of the western carriage way.As a result of this BK is further delayed from completing works in this section causing further overall delays in the project. Mr. Vaughn was very well aware of this situation when he made his remarks to GINA but failed to mention it.
- There is an additional cable, marked yesterday 13 January 2015 by GT&T technicians, that is located across the road between one of the DDL installations and the GT&T tower at approximately chanage 4+450. The GT&T technicians indicated that this cable is at a depth of approximately 29 inches making work in that area a “potential jeopardy” of the cable being damaged again.
- Mr. Vaughn charges that BK failed to demonstrate effective project management in working night and extra shifts to complete the works. Again, the coordinator is making statements that are in direct contradiction with the known facts. As recently as December 2014 BK Crews worked nights, early mornings before sunrise, and Sundays to complete the crossings and paving of the western carriage way in order that additional sections of the road could be opened before the traffic rush at Christmas.
