(Trinidad Guardian) The Cabinet has decided to cancel a contract that was given to a Chinese construction company, Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co Ltd (CGGC), the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
The cancellation has put a pause on a project that would have seen the construction of 5,000 housing units in several areas.
The announcement was made yesterday by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Reports surfaced last week about certain discrepancies regarding the project.
However, when asked about this at the Post Cabinet News Conference yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said that some of the parts of the contract did not meet Cabinet’s acceptance and approval.
“That contract was reviewed extensively by the Cabinet and it has been stopped and HDC has been instructed to go back out to tender.”
According to reports, the contract was signed in May of this year and in the first phase the Chinese contractor, CGGC, was expected to construct 204 two and three-bedroom apartment units in South Quay, Port of Spain and 235 similar units at Lady Hailes Avenue in San Fernando.
On the website of the HDC it says that “for this project CGGC will be responsible for the financing, design, procurement and construction of the housing blocks and the associated infrastructure for these developments. The first phase of the project, which will span two years, is estimated to cost $USD 71, 739,411.00.”
Noticeably present at the signing ceremony in May at the Hyatt Regency Hotel were Port of Spain South MP Marlene Mc Donald, Attorney General Faris Al Rawi, Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses and Housing and Urban Development Minister Edmund Dillon.
