By Sue-Ann Wayow
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley must explain to the country why taxpayers must now pay an additional $110 million to complete the now-stalled reconstruction of the Central Block of Port of Spain General Hospital.
This is according to Member of Parliament for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal.
In a statement on Saturday, Dr Moonilal said Dr Rowley must also provide the pertinent facts on the decision of Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) to withdraw from the project.
He must explain, too, whether he knew of SCG’s departure from the assignment when he responded to a question asked by Dr Moonilal in Parliament in January.
Dr Moonilal, a former Housing Minister with oversight of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago said the public must remember that early in this administration UDeCOTT was moved from the Ministry of Housing to the Office of the Prime Minister, then hours after a key financial arrangement with Global Finance was signed off.
He said, “There are many unanswered questions following the media conference held by Noel Garcia, Chairman of Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), on the eve of the long weekend when many people’s attention was focused elsewhere.
“Mr Garcia did not offer the reasons for SCG’s withdrawal, nor did he state whether this was prompted by money concerns.”
Dr Moonilal said, “SCG is one of the world’s premier construction and engineering corporations, worth more than US $6 billion, and would not take a commercial decision to walk away from a contract without compelling reasons.”
In Parliament, Dr Rowley responded to Dr Moonilal that threats were laid to have the project terminated which Dr Moonilal said, he was not sure if they were actually carried out.
The Prime Minister said then that discussions were being held by UDeCOTT and SGC.
He also said then, “The contractor was threatening to terminate and UdeCOTT had no difficulty with that because UDeCOTT is protected by contractual arrangements.”
Soon after, Garcia also said the Central Block would still be completed even though he admitted that the project had collapsed blaming the Covid-19 pandemic for the issues.
Garcia said in his most recent media conference that SCG served a Notice of Termination on November 5 and which took effect on November 19.
“Mr Garcia’s half-baked statement did not inform taxpayers of the official reasons for the decision and what were the unresolved issues after conciliatory meetings between both parties,” Dr Moonilal said.
The former government minister said, “The refusal of SCG to reconsider its decision, despite repeated pleas from UDeCOTT, is a deeply disturbing matter. The entire issue demands full and timely disclosure from the Prime Minister.”
