Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) (left) had asked Minister for Communications and Works Hon Mark H. Vanterpool to disclose (a), who were the contractors that bid on the Cruise Pier Landside Project? (b) What were the amounts of each bid received? And (c) was the Contract awarded to the lowest bidder? Photo: VINO/File

Hon Minister for Communications and Works Mark H. Vanterpool said that the contract was awarded to Ports and Marinas Services which was not the lowest bidder but which was favoured by the evaluation committee based on a five-point criteria. Photo: VINO/File

He was speaking in the Seventh Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly on Friday June 13, 2014 where he was responding to questions put to him by Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3).

Hon Fraser had asked Hon Vanterpool to disclose (a), who were the contractors that bid on the Cruise Pier Landside Project? (b) What were the amounts of each bid received? And (c) was the Contract awarded to the lowest bidder?

“If the answer to (c) is no, then doesn’t that violate Section 11 (b) of the Protocols for Effective Financial Management which states that “All projects must be subjected to a Tendering and procurement process that guarantees the highest levels of transparency and fairness practicable,…” in so far as it brings the issue of fairness into question?; and also if the answer to (c) is no, who was the contract awarded to, and why?” Fraser asked.

In response to the questions, Minister Vanterpool said that the contractors for the project were Meridian Construction Company Limited ($4,040,153.11), James Todman Construction Limited ($3,729,801.38) and Ports and Marinas Services Limited ($5,184,405.31).

“As you can see Madam Speaker the contract was not awarded to the lowest bidder. It means the answer is no. The process followed does not violate Section 11 b of the protocols for effective financial management. The Port Authority Board followed a procurement process where a procurement committee evaluated the three bids on five main criteria: cost, submittals, experience with similar projects, work plan and programme and equipment and plant,” said Minister Vanterpool.

He said that the evaluation committee recommended Ports and Marinas Services as the successful tenderer to the BVI Ports Authority Board. Subsequently the BVI Ports Authority Board approved the recommended tenderer which was Ports and Marinas Services Ltd.

“Madam Speaker it is important to note that in such evaluations you have on the face of it a bid price that could be one number and in the evaluation process the number may increase or decrease,” he said.

Hon Fraser then asked whether the contractors were shortlisted and approved to which the Minister responded yes.