- PHASE 1 OF NATIONAL FEEDER ROADS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED BY YEAR END
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves met today with officials of the Kuwaiti fund and the OPEC fund for International Development to rectify issues related to delays on Phase 1 and II of the National Agriculture and Feeder Roads Project.
The meeting included Hon. Sheikh Abdullah Alsabah of Kuwait Dynamic Ltd (KDL) and Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund Waleed Al-bahar.
Speaking after the meeting in Cabinet Room, Dr. Gonsalves said the project started since 2019 and the roads should have already been completed but there have been many delays and attendant issues concerning the completion of these works.
The Prime Minister said he had written the Kuwaiti fund so there could be some urgency for completion of the project and this second meeting is the result. The officials have also met with contractors and sub-contractors and the Minister of Transport and Works Hon. Montgomery Daniel as well as the Permanent Secretary in that Ministry.
A Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up which includes the establishment of a committee comprising the Government, the Kuwaiti fund, OPEC Fund, the Supervising Engineer, a consultant and the contractor which will provide assistance and monitor work of the main contractor. An agreement for settlement of all financial claims from the sub-contractors by the contractor KDL was also done.
Hon. Sheikh Abdullah Alsabah of Kuwait Dynamic Ltd. (KDL) said he was pleased with the meeting and the opportunity to follow up on matters concerning the project because the contractor KDL, had not been fulfilling its obligations. Sheikh Abdullah also thanked Dr. Gonsalves and the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines for their patience.
The Memorandum also stipulates that roads under Phase I of the project are scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2024, except one, while the roads under phase II should be completed by the end of Janaury 2025.
Roads under Phase 1- include the Belair Village Road, Brighton Salt Pond Road, Calder Main Road, Colonairie Estate Road Carriere, Greiggs-Lowmans Road, Enhams, Montreal Gardens Road, there are still five roads to be completed – Montreal Gardens Road, Ottley Hall main Road, Sayers Village Road, Carriere Road and Enhams.
There are 13 roads under Phase II of the project, they include the Benjamin Bristol, farm Macmillan, Copeland, Malone, Lauders-Chapmans, Playmyra, Gomea, Richland Park, VerryVine, Copeland, Fair Hall Orange Hill Lot 1, 2 and 3, Malone, Lammy; three roads have been completed, they are the Richland Park, Verry Vine and the Lauders-Chapmans Roads.
The project together, totals EC 90 million dollars and includes over 20 roads throughout the country and according to Prime Minister Gonsalves, KDL has committed to cover the cost of any over- run on the project.
“The contractor has undertaken to ensure that whatever excess monies, those sums would be provided to complete the project and that the appropriate guarantees with a commercial bank would be made,” Dr. Gonsalves said.
