(Jamaica Gleaner) China Harbour Engineering Company is seeking to set the record straight regarding payments to subcontractors for work completed under the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme.
The issue of the non-payment of subcontractors surfaced last week during a meeting of Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC).
PAAC chairman Edmund Bartlett indicated that he had received complaints from contractors in his constituency that they are not being paid on time.
But executives of the National Works Agency (NWA) which contracts China Harbour, told the committee that the agency had made all 16 payments owed to China Harbour up to December.
In a release this afternoon China Harbour said it, has paid, in full, all subcontractors covered by the 16 payment certificates made by the NWA.
China Harbour says subcontractors seem unaware that payment cannot be made until both it and the NWA have undertaken the verification process and protocol set out in the contract between both parties.
It says some subcontractors may not be sufficiently aware of the process and, on occasions, have immediately requested payment after advising that the work is completed.
China Harbour maintains that it consistently pays sub-contractors within a few days of receiving such appropriate documentation and payment from the NWA.
It also says it will be seeking to meet with the NWA to examine whether there is any to shorten the process.
China Harbour is the contractor for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri expansion project.
