BK International gets $138M contract again for Supenaam stelling
November 6, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News
…plus $240m for Parika stelling
Just under two years after the Ministry of Works was up in arms against BK International for what it called work of a poor quality on the Supenaam Ferry Stelling, the very Ministry awarded another contract for works on the same stelling. The Ministry also included works on the Parika stelling.
By year end two roll-on-roll-off ferries would be here in Guyana courtesy of the Chinese Government. These ferries would operate across the Essequibo River between Parika and Supenaam.
To accommodate the ferries the Works Ministry is upgrading the stellings at Parika and Supenaam. Earlier in the year it issued tenders for the modification works and after examining bids from Roopan Ramotar, Courtney Benn Contracting Services, Dipcon and Dynamics Engineering, it awarded the contracts to BK International.
BK International has undertaken to modify the Parika Stelling at a cost $240.1 million and the Supenaam Stelling at a cost of some $138 million. The company also promised to complete both stellings within four months. Two months have already passed.
BK International had won the initial contract to construct a stelling at Good Hope/Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast with a view to reducing the travel time between Parika and the Essequibo Coast.
Initially it took more than four hours for the ferry to travel between Parika and Adventure. The government decided to limit the travel time to less than three hours by constructing the stelling at Supenaam. At a cost of more than $400 million BK International constructed the stelling which then remained idle for nearly two years.
Investigations by Kaieteur news led to the Works Ministry rushing to put that stelling into operation. But disaster struck when the first vehicle rolled of the ferry onto the stelling. The pontoon that was supposed to take up to a few tons, sank and the vessel slipped into the Essequibo River.
At a press conference in the wake of the disaster, Works Minister Robeson Benn accused BK International of faulty work. He threatened legal action against the contractor. A similar view was expressed by Prime Minister Sam Hinds who was mandated by President Bharrat Jagdeo to mount an investigation into the project.
But the need to get the stelling operational caused the government to inject money into the project. But earlier comments by the Works Minister did not go unnoticed by the management of BK International. The construction company launched a scathing attack against the Works Minister only to apologise a few days later.
The Works Minister had blamed the company which in turn insisted that it performed according to the design specifications. The company also blamed the Works Ministry for contributing to the problem of the stelling by attempting modifications.
The findings of the investigation have not been released. Word is that the report is lying on the desk of the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the completion date for the stelling modification. Just this past week efforts were being made to remove vendors from the vicinity of the Parika stelling.
Source
November 6, 2011 | By KNews | Filed Under News
…plus $240m for Parika stelling
Just under two years after the Ministry of Works was up in arms against BK International for what it called work of a poor quality on the Supenaam Ferry Stelling, the very Ministry awarded another contract for works on the same stelling. The Ministry also included works on the Parika stelling.
By year end two roll-on-roll-off ferries would be here in Guyana courtesy of the Chinese Government. These ferries would operate across the Essequibo River between Parika and Supenaam.
To accommodate the ferries the Works Ministry is upgrading the stellings at Parika and Supenaam. Earlier in the year it issued tenders for the modification works and after examining bids from Roopan Ramotar, Courtney Benn Contracting Services, Dipcon and Dynamics Engineering, it awarded the contracts to BK International.
BK International has undertaken to modify the Parika Stelling at a cost $240.1 million and the Supenaam Stelling at a cost of some $138 million. The company also promised to complete both stellings within four months. Two months have already passed.
BK International had won the initial contract to construct a stelling at Good Hope/Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast with a view to reducing the travel time between Parika and the Essequibo Coast.
Initially it took more than four hours for the ferry to travel between Parika and Adventure. The government decided to limit the travel time to less than three hours by constructing the stelling at Supenaam. At a cost of more than $400 million BK International constructed the stelling which then remained idle for nearly two years.
Investigations by Kaieteur news led to the Works Ministry rushing to put that stelling into operation. But disaster struck when the first vehicle rolled of the ferry onto the stelling. The pontoon that was supposed to take up to a few tons, sank and the vessel slipped into the Essequibo River.
At a press conference in the wake of the disaster, Works Minister Robeson Benn accused BK International of faulty work. He threatened legal action against the contractor. A similar view was expressed by Prime Minister Sam Hinds who was mandated by President Bharrat Jagdeo to mount an investigation into the project.
But the need to get the stelling operational caused the government to inject money into the project. But earlier comments by the Works Minister did not go unnoticed by the management of BK International. The construction company launched a scathing attack against the Works Minister only to apologise a few days later.
The Works Minister had blamed the company which in turn insisted that it performed according to the design specifications. The company also blamed the Works Ministry for contributing to the problem of the stelling by attempting modifications.
The findings of the investigation have not been released. Word is that the report is lying on the desk of the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the completion date for the stelling modification. Just this past week efforts were being made to remove vendors from the vicinity of the Parika stelling.
Source
