Hon Vanterpool struggles to justify $40M overrun on Pier Project
Hon Vanterpool, during the National Democratic Party (NDP) ‘Drive Time’ radio programme on September 3, 2018, told listeners that the project initially went out to bid in August 2012 and Tortola Port Partners Limited (TPPL) was selected.
Engineering Drawings
He said, TPPL failed to meet the criteria set within the deadline to proceed and since the Virgin Islands (VI) government was pressed for time, it decided to raise funds to execute the development on its own.
As such, government terminated the Agreement and purchased the Design, Architectural and Engineering Drawings from TPP for $1,772,450.00.
According to Hon Vanterpool, following a second round of bidding there had to be several variations which shows, that the original estimate received by Government from the intended developers, was not adequate.
Hon Vanterpool explained to listeners that the project was in fact the Territory’s best investment in the past 25 years, but not before conceding what he called ‘procedural’ misgivings.
He said, “in spite of some procedures that could have been done differently, the Territory received great value for money with this project.”
Final Designs
According to the Minister with responsibility for the development of the Pier Park Project, “the initial cost for the entire Cruise Pier Project was estimated at $50 million, but this was not based on any final and approved designs.
However, once the plans were completed and as construction progressed, the estimate was revised to approximately $85 million, he said.
Minister Vanterpool during the broadcast asked rhetorically, “could this new cruise pier and Tortola Pier Park development cost $50 million? The answer is no!”
Addressing concerns as to “why didn’t the BVI Ports Authority prepare its own estimates,” Hon Vanterpool suggested, “time was not on the side of the BVI Ports Authority to do this, as they already had contractual arrangements with Disney and Norwegian Cruise Lines to deliver this project by a specific deadline.”
According to the Minister “a professional quantity evaluation estimate by BCQS, indicates that an $85 million spend on the project was good value for money.”
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32 Responses to “Hon Vanterpool struggles to justify $40M overrun on Pier Project ”
If you living in a glass house please for God sake don't throw stone.
Tired of propaganda.
Any construction that take place, an initial estimate will be provided. While work is going on things can come up and adjustments are to be made. Also if changes are made to the design and if designers or/and contractors changed. the cost would change.
VIP was the ruling party for years upon years. We were stuck with Old Peebles....we finally had gotten the walls of the New Peebles...millions upon millions spent but still could not deliver. VG hospital was just a talk under VIP...and who was the rep for over 40 years? Our infrastructure been shit....it ain't now Town and Purcell been flooding, it just got worst as more development in the hills occurred. VIP members Julian Fraser and Omar Hodge were in a position to address this....guess what still flooding.
I can go on and on so many things VIP has done wrong in their time, but I do not see you highlighting anything VIP did wrong.
If you want people to vote for you, you need to be real and not one sided. You make one side look so innocent till they are guilty.
we the people see everyone's agenda when they get into office. they forget who put them there.
Further, it is poor contract management to award a project if the GE is substantially incomplete. Apparently this was done with the Tortola Pier Park (TPP) project; the apparent GE employed was $50M but the actual cost according to Mark Vanterpool (D-4), MCW, was approximately $85M. Consequently, the substantial cost overrun, assuming that the $83M was the true cost, should not be a surprise.
Moreover, what was the exigency is ploughing forward without a strong, credible GE? Did the BVIPA lack the capacity and capability to perform a true and GE? Why did the Premier, HOA, NDP caucus........etc let the TPP project go forward without a proper GE? Is the $83M a fair and equitable cost? Are most BVI government contracts over priced? Is the TPP project consultant conducting the audit so “LESS” that it cannot complete an audit in 2 years? Is government the hold up in completing the audit? Do consultants normally produce what clients want? Is government making a calculated decision that what is known( little) put it in a better position than releasing the TPP project audit?
Well it have2 b broke cuz they're the ones pocket n the money by the millions. Y aren't these people been prosecuted!!! What is consider a crime n the bvi?!?! So it's only guns and drugs considered to b crimes!!!!!!