CHIEF SECRETARY Farley Augustine says he will not comment on allegations of cost overruns on the ANR Robinson airport expansion project until he reads the report of the foreign firm that was retained by the government to do quality control on the project.
At a UNC cottage meeting in Las Lomas on December 2, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar alleged the project had incurred $462 million in cost overruns owing to frequent delays.
She further claimed the British engineering and consultancy firm, Mott MacDonald, which was hired by the Ministry of Finance, had noted several concerns in its evaluation of the project.
The project is being undertaken by China Railway Construction and managed by the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco).
Finance Minister Colm Imbert, at the post-Cabinet news conference on December 5, denied Persad-Bissessar’s claims of excessive cost overruns and the project failing to meet specifications and building codes.
He said there has been a cost overrun of US$2.5 million and the project is running behind schedule. Imbert expects it should be completed by the end of March 2025.
Speaking to reporters after the prize-giving ceremony for the Chief Secretary’s Art Competition at the Hampden/Lowlands Multipurpose Facility on December 6, Augustine said he could not respond directly to Persad-Bissessar's allegations.
He said, “I am only now getting familiar with the details because I know the Opposition Leader referenced a report from the British company that the government, the Minister of Finance, hired to do quality control on the project.
“I have, in the past, met the principals of that British company. But I have not seen the report referenced by the Opposition Leader.
“So I will want to see those reports to see if the cost overruns are egregious.”
Augustine said sometimes in managing projects one does run over in terms of cost.
“That might be as a result of varying things that might have delayed the project. For example, we may have disasters on the ground that may have created yet another stall. So I am not sure what may have accounted for the overruns. But I will prefer not to go too in depth to give a judgement call on the cost overrun without the benefit of seeing that report.
“Certainly, any cost overruns, in the interest of accountability and transparency should be of concern to all of us, including the government.”
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