One year after Spectre Construction was awarded a $981 million contract for the construction of the Pouderoyen Pump Station, not much progress has been made.
The award of the contract had been deemed controversial because the construction company had no experience in building a pump station and was therefore classified as unqualified.
During a visit to the project site on Friday, Stabroek News observed that little progress has been made despite the presence of workers. This newspaper had previously reported in April that the pathway leading to the pump station had been paved with stones. That situation still prevails, raising concerns about its condition during the rainy season when it is likely to become slushy.
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha had indicated in April that the contractor had started work on the access road. However, no significant developments have occurred since the initial paving with stones. The lack of visible progress has led to frustration among local residents who are eager for the timely completion of the project to alleviate flooding issues in the area.
Residents have been affected by flooding caused by tubes installed by the contractor to keep excess water out of the construction site. Those tubes drained the water into the surrounding area. One resident had told this newspaper that while he understands that work is ongoing, the pace must be intensified as he and a few other villagers who live next to the sea dam and the koker were severely affected by flooding which was taking a while to recede.
The project is scheduled to be completed on July 29, 2025.
The $981 million contract for the Pouderoyen pump station was awarded to Spectre Construction last year, with no evidence to suggest that it has built a pump station before. The company has had much smaller government contracts before and these include the construction of a sidewalk for the University of Guyana, and a two-storey building in the Eccles Health Centre compound. Both were awarded in 2022. Under these circumstances, it should not have qualified to be considered for this project.
Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul had written to the Public Procurement Commission on October 9, last year to request an investigation into the awarding of the contract for the Pouderoyen Pump Station. When contacted for a comment, Director of Spectre Construction Company Dominic Yan had stated in November 2023, that he will not be part of any “propaganda,” and had refused to respond to questions in relation to his company being awarded the contract.
Stabroek News had contacted Yan and asked when the company was registered and how many contracts of a similar nature had it undertaken. He was also asked about the company’s experience in constructing pump stations, when the contract was awarded, and the timeframe for its completion.
The Director did not respond directly to any of the questions, and instead stated, “I thought your interview was going in a different direction. I didn’t know that is what you wanted from the interview. I thought you wanted to know about the project. I don’t know that you are bringing politics into this. I’m sorry, I don’t want to be a part of that kind of interview. I thought you were interested in the project and not propaganda.”
