Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill in apparent response to Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Annette Ferguson’s revelation that there is no work being done on the multi-billion-dollar Office Complex, said “not because work is not being done on the site right now means work is not being done.”
Two weeks ago, Ferguson, in an OpEd, showed photographs of the site as at September 7, 2024. Photographs (seen below) show the area is under heavy vegetation and there is no indication of work being done. The MP is not buying the minister’s explanation that presently steel is being constructed. She told Village Voice News not even a primary school pupil will offer the minister’s response.
Pillorying the argument that steels are being made, the Shadow Minister for Housing and Water pointed that not even a primary school pupil will provide such as response, and the steel construction on another site has nothing to do with the project advancement, “when it is crystal clear that NO ACTIVITY, whether casting of the foundation, for the installation of the steel whenever they arrive, has NOT been done to date.”
In an interview with the government’s Department of Public Information, Edghill said steel is being fabricated, and work at the site is approximately six percent completed.
Ferguson said even if the minister were given the benefit of the doubt and there is agreement with him that steels are being manufactured, his failure to show proof or list the names of the factories, purportedly fabricating the steels, gives rise to suspicion.
Illustrating her contention the MP supplied photographs (below) to this publication which show the area was pre-February 23, 2024.
The MP has also turned attention to the minister’s statement that another phase of the project involves manufacturing of concrete piles, requesting the minister answer the question whether the concrete piles will arrive after the steels.
Pointing out that even as a layman she knows the following steps to be followed when constructing a building is:
- Acquire land
- Clear the vegetation from the land
- Sand filled
- Pile driving after geotechnical assessment.
- Prepare foundation
- Commence other activities for the superstructure.
But it appears that where the project is concerned, the contractor is putting the cart before the horse, she pointed out.
Going further, the MP said even more troubling is that a total of $7.6B has been approved by the National Assembly as at January 31, 2024; the release quoted the sum of $2.6B paid to the contractor, “Caribbean Green Building Inc,” and the minister has failed to say what has become of the balance $5B.
Ferguson pointed out that during the consideration of the estimates for the Ministry of Public Works, she pressed the minister in the National Assembly for an explanation on the balances, whether the monies are in the consolidated funds. “He did not answer, and again for iteration, he FAILED to say what has become of the balance.”
Ferguson in her OpEd had asked the minister ten questions. He is yet to answer any.
Full completion of the projected is set for February 2066
