THE COST OF OPERATION FREEFLOW, the project aimed at easing congestion along the island’s main traffic arteries, cannot be regarded as an “over-run”. Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Clyde Mascoll, said yesterday on Brasstacks Sunday – Voice of Barbados that the highway project had become “a hot political issue because the impression had been given that there has been a major change in the cost resulting from inefficiency”.
Last month, an executive of Structural Steel Solutions (3S), the company contracted to build the traffic busting fly-overs, said that the scope of work on the multi-million dollar Barbados Road Network Infrastructure Improvement Project had increased three-fold – hence cost would rise. “What has happened is that the scope of works on the ABC Highway has been changed, so therefore it has adjusted the project. Initially the Government was only contemplating having four lanes at the entry to the roundabouts and therefore the entire highway was not supposed to be a four-lane highway,” Mascoll said.
Source: Nation Newspaper
We continue to examine the amazing revelation by Junior Minister of Finance Clyde Mascoll on a radio program on Sunday (16 September), when he reacted to the controversy about the 200+ increase in cost of the flyover project made public by 3S at a press conference recently. Mascoll in a rebuttal made the following statement, “3S Barbados said that the work has increased three-fold and that was interpreted to mean that the cost is three-fold but that is not so…snip.” At BU, we have resigned ourselves that this is an issue which will be discussed only in the blogosphere; traditional media remains hamstrung to discuss the issue. We include Her Majesty’s Opposition which appear to be smittened with laryngitis. The only official statement which we have had from government so far in the form of the Mascoll statement should force conscientious Barbadians to ask some probing questions.
We do not intend to debate with Mascoll whether the BDS120 million dollars increase in the cost of the project should be labeled as overruns, or increase cost because of expanded cost of works. This is a red herring argument which is being tabled to distort the issue. We prefer to focus on the process which led to the scope of work of the Operations Free Flow project being expanded. It would have been well known to the Minister of Transportation and Works, Gline Clarke and the government that many people including the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) had serious concerns about the decision to build flyovers. It therefore borders on arrogance that our government would approve the scope of works of the flyover project that would translate to 100% increase in cost, and no effort to inform the taxpayers of Barbados. Barbadians had to find out about the change in the scope of work from the contractor 3S.
Truly Amazing!
Prime Minister Arthur is on record as describing his government to be transparent and one which he intends to hold his colleagues accountable for their actions. This is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to stay true to his promise; until he does we will view the Operations Free Flow Project with suspicion.
Here is a response to BU’s request from Mabey & Johnson to comment on the Request for Proposal from the Barbados government on the awarding of the Operation Free Flow project. It stands to reason that one of the leading bridge builders in the world, Mabey & Johnson, would have been invited to participate on the Operations Free Flow project!
David,
We are not aware of any tender for the Barbados flyover project. We certainly did not participate in one. The earlier RFP, as far as we know, involved only road improvements, not flyovers or bridges and was therefore of no interest.
Regards
Name Deleted
______________________________
Mabey & Johnson Ltd
Against this background of concern, BU request that the government make the following information available to the taxpayers of Barbados; it is our blasted money!
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The Request for Proposal submitted to potential vendors by the government of Barbados to widen the highway and build eight flyovers
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The Letter of Justification which supported the final selection of the vendor 3S Structural Solutions LLC
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The document which outlines the rationale to amend the original scope of works
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The April 2006, 3S drawings of the project
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The size of the guarantee issued by the government of Barbados since the 100% increase in the project
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The procedure for tendering of large capital projects
We will continue to revisit this issue until a satisfactory response is received from government. If the lack of communication
about the project revolves around Minister Gline Clarke being on leave, then we will wait until he returns. Amazing that Clyde Mascoll would insult the intelligence of Barbadians by intimating that the late response by government to the speculation about the increase cost of the flyover project had to do with Minister Clarke’s absence from Barbados; amazing! For those of us who listened to Mascoll, he spoke with fluency about all areas of government policy except when the flyover project was introduced.
Surely the Democratic Labour Party intends to strike with this issue before the trail goes cold!
See links to previous stories:
Clyde Mascoll Needs Only Three Minutes To Do Damage Control On 3S Barbados SRL
Operations Free Flow Should Be Stopped NOW Pending A Further Geo-technical Study Media Houses In Barbados In Collusion With Government To Suppress News, Press Freedom Under Threat ~ The Voices Of The People Must Be Heard
Gline Clarke And Rihanna Tell Their Supporters To “Shut Up And Drive”
OPERATION Free Flow, Barbados Road Network Infrastructure Improvement Project (Flyover Project) To Triple In Cost From USD60 Million To USD180 Million~Gline Clarke And The Government Of Barbados Owe Barbadians A Big Explanation
ABC Highway Cost Triples Or More
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