Premier refutes giving contractor extra $300K for sports complex AC
Premier Andrew Fahie has refuted assertions that his government has given a contractor an extra $300,000 to install an air conditioning unit at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in Road Town.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn, while speaking during a previous sitting of the House of Assembly, said he researched the cost and tender process for that contract on the conditioning system and discovered that the contractor was selected over another who had entered a bid that was $300,000 less. He further claimed the lower bidder was essentially disqualified for a typographical error.
But while describing the Opposition Leader’s statement as irresponsible, Premier Fahie said there was an open and transparent tender process in place for the contract.
“I sat here, and it still irks me … to hear when the Leader of the Opposition accuse a businessman of putting in a bid over $300,000 for the Multipurpose Sports Complex and then comes to speak about persons damaging persons in the House of Assembly,” Premier Fahie said.
“He knows not what the bid is about, he knows not the technical aspects of it. How could you do that to that businessman?“ Premier Fahie asked.
Premier Fahie said the Opposition Leader’s statement lacked integrity and pointed to other incidents in the past where contracts did not go to the lowest bidder, yet nothing was said about them.
“How come this one contractor has gained the interest of the Leader of the Opposition to go in such a negative direction?” he further question.
According to the Premier, this was the very reason his government was implementing an Integrity in Public Life legislation.
Premier Fahie said elected officials are questioned everywhere else in the world, so it was not a unique issue for the BVI.
But he said eliminating doubts about the credibility of public officials had become even more difficult with reckless statements such as those made by the Opposition members.
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Why is the premier keep on thinking that all of us are @$$#$?
The Premier thinks that we are stupid and only he has brains. We could all see this for what it is. There is no way in hell that an AC unit for the complex could cost 786k. That is just ridiculous. And look who the contract is given to.
smh. Premier has forgotten that he has called into repute other business people as well. He has done so right in the House of Assembly. How quickly he conveniently forgets. what is the meaning of Hypocrite again?
Issue here is clear. The leader of opposition made statements found not to be true and was being reprimanded by Andrew Fahie. Whether or not that $786,000 was too high a bid, wasn’t the question. Don’t you agree that the leader of the opposition should apologize if indeed what he said wasn’t true? Now on the true value of the contract, @ Suck teeth, it appears you know the true value of the contract. Please help us here. Provide us with business contacts of suppliers of these Air conditioners so that members of the public can check and confirm, if indeed at the end of the day, the AC could be sourced at a far lower price, that would be a good reason to call for the revocation of the contract. Until you do this, you could just be misleading the public and committing libel
Unfortunately that contractor happens to be a former vip candidate and the campaign manager for the D5 rep…ayo think we blind and stupid ???????
Andrew, but tis true …???tsk tsk
Typical of him so no doubt.
The hospital installed a bigger unit than the sports complex and rented 2 cranes from all the way puerto rico to install it and the bill wasn’t even half of what is proposed for this gym. This is highway robbery!
What you and others need to know is the dynamic of industrial A/C and Refrefrgeration, the unit the hospital installed was a chiller as the previous one was damaged during the hurricane. The system for the gym is a complete system which would be more costly, do know if you did your research before comparing. First you need to know what’s the BTU which the building needs ànd check and see how much that system cost. We get on here and blog w/ o doing no research and comparing oranges to apples.
The A/C structure in the gym is sound this is not a complete replacement of the system.
As an AC man, that building should already be ducted and if need replacing, it still wouldn’t be that much of a cost. The amount of Btu required for that building and materials and labor still shouldn’t be pass $400k even tho prices have gone up on copper and refrigerant.
Sorry but like many others I given up believing what this man says.
The Opposition Leader needs to do a thorough Research before airing his mouth sometimes. Even if there is some undermining done with this Contract the need for giving narrative indecisive information only appears to draw negativity from the Public who sees nothing Positive in what the Government does despite the Primier’s (???) Efforts.
I just admire how professional the Hon Speaker conducts the business of the House.
He has stepped it up, and no one can call the House a circus
Just get away from here with your nonsense. Take that comment to the asylum with you. Your first name is Jack, I bet I know you last name is A&@
Speaker Honorable? He is the ringmaster in the circus…..
Hmmm. Will I need to investigate this one also?
Since when Andrew care about the reputation of other people? You know how many decent people name this man destroy with his untruths and his quest for power. There is special place down there for people like him. He just sickens my stomach. I cant believe we have people this low minded in these big positions.
I wonder if the Good Auditor General gone on Xmas Break this is a Slap in Tax payers Face. High Jacking the Treasury Every second that’s what this man do he take money ?by the Second..Set Ah Crooks From the 1 Stop Office..
I only hope some of this money isn’t to help pay the speaker’s bill?
Embezzling in high places is called white collar crime. I wonder what embezzling in low places is called – Jail Work?
Looks like the govt thinks it’s better to be cool with the ball in the gym than studying in schools still busted up from 2017. What’s the projected monthly electric bill for this? HVAC maintenance costs? Where is that in the budget? If this is a publically bid project, where are the bid documents and specifications?
Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t the Health Services pay for some sort of unit for this building? Enquiring minds want to know.
Marlon the mischiefmaker at it again.
This is not about one contractor. This is not about the type of system being put in in order to justify the cost. This is about transparency and fairness. If birth contractors got the identical RFPs and bid based on that RFP but one came in $300k more, for the exact same job and deliverables, then the work should go to the less expensive bidder. AF needs to stop!
I wonder if Hon. Penn’s research showed that this was the second time that this was put to tender. On the first occasion, this same successful bidder submitted a bid for one million dollars (yes $1,000,000.00). The only other bidder’s bid was $381,000. Note the difference of over $600,000 in the bids.
For whatever reason the tendering date was changed and when the new date was announced, the same two companies te-submitted their bids. This time, the successful party had reduced their figure from $1,000,000.00 to $786,000. Isn’t that amazing? The other party’s bud was increased from $381,000 to $481,000 because the price of certain materials , etc went up during the period between bidding.
They really take us for fools here in the Virgin Islands, but the longest rope has an end. I wonder if the COI is the end of the rope?