$786K contract signed for a/c system for sports complex
The government has signed a contract with Quality Air Condition & Refrigeration for the procurement, installation and commissioning of the heat, ventilation and air condition system at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.
Quality Air Condition won the $786,000 contract in what Sports Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley described as a transparent tender process. Dr Wheatley used the contractual signing to acknowledge the owner of the company, Kelvin Thomas who he described as someone committed to the development of the Virgin Islands.
Wheatley said Thomas has been helping the sports complex with AC and ventilation from the time the facility was impacted by the 2017 hurricanes.
“I have to acknowledge the contractor. What you may not know is that when the AC was not functioning, he would come in here and rig up things to get it working. When he could not do it any more and everything collapsed on us; we had to rent a unit and I believed it came from Puerto Rico,” Wheatley said.
“Through this contractor, we were able to use this rented unit for free at the expiration of our contract. We wanted to use it for a few more events and of course this is a very popular venue for events and through the contractor, we were able to secure a good many few weeks of free AC to the people of the Virgin Islands,” the Deputy Premier added.
Meanwhile, Thomas thanked the government and the Recreational Trust for the opportunity to work on the project. He noted it was a long-time coming and he is grateful his company was selected to carry out the task.
“The tender process was a very intense one and I cannot remember being through such an intense one before. But one of the things that we did was engage the original manufacturers of the chillers to guide us through the process and we did that because we felt that if we were successful, we wanted to deliver an equipment that was at a high standard. We believe that it is important that our client get value for money,” Thomas said.
“Now the equipment will take about three months to build. It’s not just sitting there and we pay for it and ship it. It has to be built and whoever is managing it will be able to access it remotely anytime they choose. Whether they are in Anegada or off-island, they can monitor the system. It will be highly efficient to help to cut down on the electricity bill they incur here,” the owner of Quality Air Conditioning said.
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A good size split unit is $1,200 installed…this would be the equivalent of 655 residential AC units.
Anyone else think this is way too much money for an Air Conditioning system?
Schuuuuuups!!!!!
Mek de dawg sick.
How can this be transparent when it was given to a former VIP candidate and campaign manager at that?
Ayo think we stupid?
Another VIP crony with another big eat!
Did the RDA had Anything to Do with this Contract?Asking for A Friend.
NOthing at All. RDA prices would never be so high!
And they don’t understand why the COI is looking at them. Can’t fix stupid
does anyone else find it pathetic that so many ministers show up for a photo op when there is so much to be done? Yes it’s a nice thing to have the A/C but it would be so much more effective if one guy (or lady) was there and the others were doing what they are paid for….
Did the RDA had Anything to Do with this Contract?Asking for A Friend.
Nopes. Nothing at All. RDA prices would never be this high!
Nopes. Nothing at All. RDA prices would never be this high!
VIP Cronies will always eat. Poor us the working hard citizen’s of this territory. When is election?
Such a shame and disgrace to us the people of the BVI.
Did the RDA had Anything to Do with this Contract?Asking for A Friend.
but we cant get desks and chairs for elmore stoutt high school
This money should have gone to the schools. We can play ball games out that what we did before this big building.
There is no way in the world that this AC system could cost that much money. No Way!!!! Almost a million dollars to put AC in that building? That’s a joke! And look who get the contract. They must really think the whole country full of dummies.
So is it the cost of the AC or who was awarded it, crab in a bucket continues!
Now honestly, is this more urgent than the ESHS being completed straight away? Come on, VIP Government! The a/c in this building can wait a little longer. I haven’t heard anyone complaining about the effects of not having a/c in this building, but not having a proper place for our children to learn is an issue of major proportions.
Furthermore, isn’t this contract amount substantially more than what has been given in contracts to start the phases on the ESHS?
This is utterly ridiculous at this time.
This is very high. Cut back involved in this. This government never learn. Please Britain we need help..
Come on people, one hand washes the next. Keep the money circulating amongst themselves
How the A/C is the cost of a 7 story building? Make it make sense ! Are we really going to spend close to million dollars on an A/C system? With what money ? This government continues to squander funds. Next thing they will hire the same person to do the A/C for the complex and pay him several million dollars. Chupes. Leadership matters ppl. Wake up! This is the worse we’ve been in a long time.
We spent $ 1 million plus to build a wall around one school…just saying.
A wall that can be seen and that was necessary for the protection of our children. The wall goes around 8 acres of land with reinforced steel concrete and extends up to 10 feet in certain areas. And from what I gathered from the COI a million dollars was not spent. Explain how an AC unit in a small gym could cost that much? We drive by the wall everyday we could see it. We could measure it. You are so bias you really can’t smell a rat with this 786k AC unit?
After hearing Steve Augustine and the staff at the ministry of education during the COI I am satisfied with their responses. So VIP misfits drop the wall talk. It’s played out. Explain to us why this AC cost house and land money! Explain this. It makes no sense whatsoever. And you gave it to one of your closest political allies. Do you all think that the public is really that dumb? Why didn’t the project go through the RDA? I guess because it would have be done in a way that the government members wouldn’t be too happy with.
I am close to concluding that it is the same set of people constantly making disparaging comments about everything done by this government. How long will you bemoan election defeat? One of these days, the masquerade will be unmasked. Here is how to do an object and constructive critique of a project of this nature; A. Request to know the capacity of the AC as well as the brand, labor and other associated costs and compare with market price. B. Review the bidding process to see if all approved procurement protocols were complied with. Making it seem as if the government is robbing the public, blue-black is a disaster waiting to happen. Remember, this site is being read worldwide. Give the reading public the opportunity to know the truth.
knowledge is power / and that’s what they are using against us /ON US /OVER US AND PROBABLY PI*S ON US TOO , THESE GUYS SHOULD BE IN HOLLYWOOD
for the procurement, installation and commissioning of the heat, ventilation and air condition system
? This place need heat ?
& No Cultural Center…..