Pier audit to be ready in few months, maybe weeks — Premier
The Tortola Pier Park
Steering clear of giving a more precise timeline, Premier Dr D Orlando Smith has said the long-anticipated audit in relation to government’s multi-million cruise pier project will be ‘ready shortly’.
“I would think in a matter of a couple of months at the most … probably a few weeks,” Dr Smith said when presented with fresh questions about the audit on Wednesday, May 30.
Premier Smith first announced an audit was being undertaken nearly two years ago.
Asked yesterday why it has taken this long to produce the report, the Premier said: “The auditors had to verify all the information that they receive. In fact, it was difficult getting much of the information and that was part of the delay”.
Once auditors complete their review and undergo their verification process, the report will be presented to the territory’s Governor.
When Dr Smith announced the audit back in 2016, he said it was to put an end to the “rumours which, of course, are false”.
He was referring to rumours that generated after the project ended up costing $82.9 million, reflecting a cost over-run of more than $30 million.
The parliamentary opposition had said it does not expect the truth to be unearthed because it was the Dr Smith Administration that appointed the auditor to probe government’s conduct in relation to the project.
However, Premier Smith had publicly pledged not to interfere with the audit, which is being conducted by United States firm, KPMG.
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Let’s not forget that cost overruns were not disclosed to us until 1) after the election and 2) after a large amount of money was raised from the public to pay for it.
Don’t forget the monies allegedly “stolen” from east end sewerage project and spent on the Pier Park. Someone should be in prison for that move.
So over two years then to release an audit on the massively over budget Pier Park! there’s a surprise, plenty of time then to manipulate the figures and doctor the report so that actually all is well!….after all we couldn’t handle the truth!
months could be 36 months and weeks could be 50000 weeks. If you said 2 months or within 5 weeks it would be more specific with a deadline date.
I heard KPMG review was restricted to a relatively short period not the entire construction period. If true waste a darn money
You are getting ready to build your house and you get an architect to draw your plans. Your plans are approved and you engage a Contractor and QS to come up with an estimate for building. They come up with an estimate of $2 mil. A few months passed by and you have disagreement with the Contractor and decide to go with another contractor. This other contractor says the plan looks good but some of the details and specs need to be changed. The new Contractor says that $2mil can build the structure but not finish the home, so it will cost $3mil to finish. Does that mean there is a $1m overrun on the house?
The guy from Florida tells us he can build the pier park and dock for $45 mil and we bought that nonsense. It doesn’t take long to google the new pier in St Kitts which is costing them over $30 mil for the dock ALONE, which is around the size we have. So is there a cost overrun or we got bamboozled by the overseas man who had the initial project? I hope this audit includes an appraisal from a qualified BQS so the nonsense can be put to rest. The pier park in totality including the new pier/dock as a finished product is a $100mil facility and we here complaining about $80 mil. Despite the fact that we got port of the year and tourists and others have said over and over that our pier rivals many others globally, that’s not enough, we just have to be bitter.
Was there a public bond offering for this project that misrepresented the actual current or then projected expenses? If so, in most jurisdictions that would be considered fraud.
“I would think in a matter of a couple of months at the most … probably a few weeks,”
Months and weeks aren’t date(s). It is time for Dr. Smith and his administration to be truthful to the people. They way folks to march and support their decision to fight the U.K., but still keeping secrets.