Ports Project racks up an astonishing $9M in admin cost!
The Cruise Prier Development Project that started in July of 2014 must have hired the most expensive lawyers, accountants, project architects and engineers’ money could buy to have cost nine million dollars, according to critics.
Before the project started the public was told in the House of Assembly by Minister Vanterpool that the entire project, both land and seaside, would cost $45 million.
To date it has reached $82.9 million and is still incomplete, according to the Minister responsible for seaports.
What is Administrative Cost?
Our newsroom made contact with an International Engineering firm that has done work to the tune of billions of dollars in its 32 year existence and inquired what administrative costs involve for a project such as the Ports Development Project.
One of the founders of the firm, who himself is a British trained Engineer, reported that administrative cost usually covers telephone charges, copying, office supplies, postage, temporary office space on construction site, administrative support staff such as someone to answer the phone on project site, accountants to pay employees working on the project or to keep the budget in order, along with project architects and engineers to ensure that the work is being done to standard.
The administrative cost on major projects also include lawyers to resolve any disputes or interpretation of the contract, health and safely insurance, general office supplies such as computers, paper, pens and rental or purchase of vehicles for the office or project managers.
When told about the size of the BVI Ports Authority’s Ports Development Project, the scope of work obtained by this news site, along with conceptual drawings and other information he requested, he was “shocked” that the administration cost for under 1 year came up to $9M.
He also asked if we had a breakdown for such a figure, however, the Minister for Communications and Works Hon Vanterpool did not provide the public with such a breakdown, therefore we could not have provided.
The seasoned Engineer from the highly respected Engineering Firm with Offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, South Africa and Japan said “maybe the persons working on the project on the administration side needed a lot of toilet papers....or bottled water.”
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49 Responses to “Ports Project racks up an astonishing $9M in admin cost!”
From $35M, $45M or whatever the original estimate was to the $89.2M current price. Up to the current price, the price escalated over 100%. Outrageous is too kind a word to attribute to this escalated cost. Everyone associated with this project should be embarrassed. It is not if this project should be investigated by an independent agency, commission, officer but when. The when is now. There is a fierce urgency of now to have this project investigated and let the chips fall where they may. Clearly, this gang cannot effectively manage and control the cost on capital projects. Can they be trusted with other projects such as the airport expansion, a boon doggle?
Well, as for Mark Vanterpool (drop the Hon), he needs to be fired brother-in-law or not for gross incompetence and mismanagement that is bringing the BVI shame from across the globe. A relatively small construction project curently running at $48M over budget and it is not finish yet. And he is proud and joyful about it. Is he pissing on us and telling us it is raining. Others here and elsewhere have been fired for much less. What have former legislator J. Alvin Christopher ( by Premier Smith) and former legislator Alred C Frett fired for? It was nothing of this magnitude. If Mark love these Virgin Islands and its people as he claimed, he should do them a favour and exit stage left. Do Doc and sis a favour and just exit. But wait Doc is not off the hook, for he has ultimate responsibilty for government performance, ie, what it did and what it did not do but should have done. His reputation is also tarnished. The bridge cost over run in dollars is just peanuts compared to this-$48M.
Moreover, the lesson here and there are many is that ministers need to throttle their egos and quit pretending that they are experts in areas that they are not. Disaster happens when they do. They should recruit and surround themselves with competent people and develop the skill to see when they are getting a 6 for a 9. Fire those people that try to pass off a 6 for a 9. Let's soar on the wings of Eagles and not led off the cliff like Buffaloes or sheep. We are not soaring as Eagles on this project.
The Governor should be ashamed of himself. I hold HIM just as accountable as the major players involved. He had the ability to investigate in the relatively early stages, yet steadfastly refused. This mess is as much on him as it is on the Premier, the Minister and the head of the Port Authority.
Unfortunately, the only ones who will be held accountable will be the people of the BVI. "WE" will pay for this mess in the long run and so will our children.
To add insult to injury, the entire project is seriously ugly. Unlike Craft's Alive, there is no charm whatsoever to the Pier Park "village". ZERO! It may as well be a series of barracks or even a prison. It looks downright institutional, right down to the paint colours selected. The whole thing is hideous and imparts NOTHING about our history or culture to visitors.
I can't wait to hear about how this building is cracking because the pilings weren't done properly, or the underground plumbing has to be dug up and redone, or the wiring is faulty and has to be replaced, or the roofing wasn't engineered properly, or ... fill in the blank. Believe me, it is very likely to happen and it won't take that long.
The entire project is a farce! My guess is that for the first several years, most of that $15.00 per head (if we get that much) will have to go into maintaining and fixing things in the pier park. The people of the BVI (other than the taxi drivers) will see very little benefit from any of it.
The government has yet to address the wear and tear on our road systems and the increased costs to maintain the roads caused by the extra 425,000 people being shuttled back and forth to the various beaches and Soper's Hole. I guess we will all start paying much more to license our cars in the near future as well. They are such a mess right now, it will take millions upon millions to fix them. Where will THAT money come from? It sure as heck won't be from the transportation sector or the taxi drivers, I guarantee that! Stand by for a new road tax folks!
If I was Hugh Darley (and I wasn't a fan of his ferris wheel and clock tower), I would be quiet about claiming the design. It is ugly. It is also on landfill which if not engineered correctly, will eventually sink the site. What a sad state. BVI is looking like everywhere else. nothing imaginative.
also, the volume is too big to protect the natural resources around here-- mangroves, beaches, roads, trash, pollution, traffic, pedestrian congestion--- have you noticed that if something is kept special or exclusive, or has limits- people wait in line to attend or visit? If it is an open free-for-all it is taken for granted. We lost any sense of control for all mighty chicken feed. We grabbed at the dime today instead of the dollar tomorrow. Shame on Government!! FIRE VANTERPOOL.!!! and send people to jail.
If I had an architect drawing up my house plans, I would be overseeing every hour of every day with questions and suggestions to make sure it is what I wanted and what was needed. Stop being like what? exercising my right to speak my opinion? I wish more people did. maybe Gov would be more careful.
Wow somebody got rich three new houses CSC DS MV?
The Governor failed us as he did not pursue the COI at the request of the PAC with the support of a damning report by the then auditor general. The Premier failed us as he should have had a hands on approach as the red flags were there from the beginning. He is the Minister of Finance so all roads lead through him. The Minister of C and W, the Ports Chairman , the Port Manager and Project Manager must be investigated as they were front and center on this project.
The reality is that only the people can demand and force accountability for this egregious abuse of the public funds by our elected officials. We must speak out and let our voice be heard that we do not want another capital project until this one has been independently investigated and those responsible are held accountable. No airport expansion on the people's purse. Petition if we have to. Protest if we have to.
The St. Kitts tourism experience does not end at Port Zante. There is so much to do whether it is going to the beach, taking the train a ride around the island for a historic and picturesque view of the Island, walking through town with its numerous traditional and historic architecture and museums or the eco buff can take a trip up to Mount Liamuiga ( there i a hotel and condos up there) maybe a boat ride to Nevis or up to the Brimstone Hill fortress. Multi- dimensional tourism product. For a Country that in the last 20 years diversified its economy from agriculture based to tourism and services, I hate to say it but they have caught up with us and passed us on the tourism side. They are now looking at building another pier expected to cost about 31 million, looks like a private entity will build and run it to be turned over to the Government in the future.
All general standards of project and procurement protocol/practices are continually being ignored for whatever reasons; and because we are a forgiving people, we keep turning the other cheek. Now, how many more cheeks do we have left to allow these things to continue happening without accountability. And then, after the Act has been done! All the Govt of the Day has to do is deploy the technique used by other Govts’ around the world, called- Shock and AWE!
Once there has been no transparency, nor accountability for actions taken. Just introduce the SHOCK! And allow the Public to AWE! (Deplete all their energy, blow off steam), while the Govt stays SILENT! OFFER vague explanations here and there; and eventually, when all their energy has been exhausted and they have all burnt off steam, everything will eventually get back to business as usual.
Well! Contrary to popular beliefs, the status-quo cannot be accepted any longer! Come on People! It’s time for a thorough investigation before we embark, once again, on the next major project. At the least, the findings would help us avoid the mistakes that were made here; that is, if it was fully attributed to Gross incompetence.
I really love all the feed back about this port Project. The thing is we new to stop talking an come together an protest our leaders to step down if there are doing SH*T!!!!!!! NDP or VIP it don't matter there should be working for the COUNTRY not the party.... Wake up BVI.. These leaders have no worries it's our money that there're playing with.