The termination of two contracts under the Ministry of Agriculture for substandard work has seen the Office of the Auditor General recommend that systems be put in place to adequately monitor and supervise works to prevent recurrences.
In its report on the public accounts for 2022, the audit office cited poor work on a timber wharf and landing for the Fishermen’s Cooperative Society. It was awarded in the sum of $26.4m by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). As at December 31st , 2022, amounts totalling $3.96m had been paid to the contractor.
The audit office said that physical verification on July 6th, 2023 revealed that the works were incomplete and only one excavator and one staffer employed by the contractor were on site despite the fact that seven months had already passed on what was to be a 90-day project.