Gov’t waives $482K contract for US company to replace damaged mailboxes
Government has awarded a contract valued up to $482,676 to a US-based company to supply mailboxes to replace the ones damaged by Hurricane Irma back in 2017.
US Mail Supply Inc was awarded the contract over two other companies after Cabinet waived the tendering process.
In a post-meeting statement on June 6, Cabinet said the tendering process was waived “due to the commercial and social importance of such a service”.
The statement further said the US company was selected “on the basis of durability, the manufacturing time factor, and the urgency of restoring the BVI’s postal services … with a view to generating the much-needed revenue for the territory.”
The contracted will be executed in three phases and is scheduled to be completed by 2021.
Phase I will be executed in 2019 at a cost of $257,999. Phase II is scheduled to be executed in 2020 at a cost of $174,312 while Phase III’s projected execution date is in 2021 at a cost of $50,365.
The new VIP government has waived the tender process for a number of projects such as the contract for the restoration of the L-shaped building at the Elmore Stoutt High School.
Government said this approach was taken to tackle what they consider to be ‘critical issues’.
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Interested to know how many mailboxes are we talking about here, 1,000, 5,000, 20,000.
Let’s say its 20,000, that works out at $24 per box, and that sounds very good. Let’s say its 5,000, that’s $96 per box. Not so good.
There is mail service on the island? Really? Who uses it? How does one get a mailbox? How often is mail delivered? Why on earth in a Territory as small as the BVI would anyone use snailmail. Sounds like a huge waste of money. Spend the money on cell phone towers to get better internet. They have this new ting, it’s called email
Did you consider cost of material and labor?
Please please don’t be like the No Direction Parties laziness with organising and spending some time preparing proper tenders to ensure competitiveness and value for money – it’s too early in the VIP’s tenure to be lamely taking the least effort option in my opinion – where is the transparency, due diligence and proper effort made to manage these tenders professionally? We expected different not the same as before – please don’t do this as a default anymore….
Sad that so soon the tender process is abandoned – we have so many civil servants that us tax payers support how come we can’t do better than this? its simply disgraceful, lazy and inept and I agree it cannot and must not continue, put the effort in and oversee a proper tender process – for years we have been plagued by a lackadaisical attitude and this is wrong and must be addressed….No wonder the UK and banks are reluctant to lend to us as we just seem incapable of proper management….
Bout time nearly two years, fed up of lining up at post office waiting to collect mail
I am confused. If mail is of such a ‘social and commercial importance’, and there is such ‘urgency’ then why did we wait TWO YEARS to start this process. And why hasn’t the postmaster general been hauled before the House to explain the lamentable state of the country’s post? Most of the post boxes were not actually damaged. And many of the ones that were could be fixed just by standing them upright again.
I don’t need a new mailbox. My PO box at the Main Street office in Road Town was just fine after Irma. I even lubricated the lock and hinges after Irma so it’s still fine. The Post Office just needs to do their job and PUT MY MAIL IN MY MAILBOX!
I totally agree. Why can’t they at least put mail in the boxes that weren’t/aren’t damaged so the lines at the Post Office are shorter?
I heard that after Irma they were not delivering mail as the trucks were damaged (plus they had no mail bags, but I find that REALLY hard to believe as an excuse!!!)
Foy has waved his magic wand once again
I’ve been waiting for a post box since 2009. Maybe they will install some new ones! Fingers crossed!
But I must agree that should take way less than 1-½ yrs to sort the mail boxes.
How about getting the scrubber for Pockwood Pond.
That’s seems like a much higher priority.
At least to those who live west of the toxic smoke. Maybe not so much to those who live or work east of it…
Agreed that thing dam disgusting can’t sleep at times that stinking smoke wakes you up that’s a shame and priorities must be given to families and children living in the area
It look like we need a fowl cage? I count over 24 chickens
why a outside company
How many tenders have been awarded so far and how many of those have been waived?
Six and half dozen is the same thing ……. no matter which p….be it ppp vip hop ….???
I still say PVIM was the best choice, but my people love chaos and people playing pilinkibud with our money. That’s what you all voted for. Negative fast talkers who don’t know a thing about Government and country building. Not keeping count but every decision so far was to pay back a crony. Even Mrs. PL on a Board. What a thing.