– as REO refuses to pay contractor for botched work
– visit reveals property now dumping ground
Trouble is brewing between the Region Four Regional Democratic Council and a contractor, Vision’s General Construction Services, over the already delayed Eccles Health Centre, with Regional Democratic Council (RDC) officials demanding the contractor do the work according to stipulations and the contractor demanding payment for work already done. 
Region Four Executive Officer (REO) Pauline Lucas has indicated at the statutory monthly meeting of the Region Four RDC that she would continue to stand her ground when confronting issues with contractors of the region.
Speaking on the $27 million Eccles Health Centre project, Lucas said the contractor, Vision’s General Construction Services, had previously been informed that the wrong roofing material had been used on the centre and that this would have to be corrected before he can be paid.
In spite of all this, Lucas reported, the contractor still requested a payment, as he claimed he had “done some additional work.” But with a change in the engineering department of the RDC, a new engineer is expected to verify the status of several issues with the contract, including this supposedly additional work.
As such, the REO noted, no payment would be made unless the work is verified by an engineer.
“It was brought to my attention that some of the previous evaluations done by the previous engineer were wrong, and this was only brought to my attention after (the new engineer) took over the project,” REO Lucas declared.
Lucas also noted that when the engineer who was previously responsible for the project departed, he did not hand over all the documents. These documents include the complete Bill of Quantities for the projects.
She stressed that this has resulted in current Engineer Eon Austin encountering a number of challenges and difficulties. The REO revealed that the Region has placed some systems in place in an effort to rectify this situation.
“I don’t want, at any stage, that we would have overpaid any contractor, as I have a responsibility and I will ensure that I maintain my position. I have made my position clear to the contractor — that he cannot receive any additional payment until he fixes the roof and the engineer would have reviewed and certified the work done,” REO said.
The matter has been compounded, according to Lucas, by the fact that the Health Centre was supposed to be completed by the end of June. But despite being granted extensions, Lucas related, the contractor has still failed to complete the project.
This publication paid a visit to the construction location over the weekend, where it was evident that others had found unsavoury uses for the long overdue site. Animals could be seen roaming in the yard, and the location was being used for illegal garbage dumping.
The contract for the health centre was signed in 2015, but the project, expected to serve some 15,000 residents in the area, has experienced numerous delays. Overpayments to contractors have plagued successive regional administrations. In the 2016 Auditor General’s Report, it was found that overpayments on 98 contracts administered by various Ministries, departments and Regions in 2016 amounted to $82.6 million.
