No more legal fees

THE National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) will pay no fees in 2019 for legal and quantity services in relation to Construtora OAS.

The Brazilian company was the former contractor on the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension Project under the People’s Partnership government.

Construtora’s contract was terminated under the current People’s National Movement administration. According to the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure 2019, there is no allocatiom for expenditure for these fees in 2019.

The document also shows a reduction in a term loan facility for Nidco for four fast ferries from $46,090,659 in 2018 to $21,368,580 in 2019.

In his 2018/2019 budget presentation on Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert outlined plans to acquire two new fast ferries for the seabridge. One will be provided by Austal and Incat will provide the other.

Imbert also said the recently acquired Galleons Passage should make its first commercial sailing to Tobago within seven days.

Nidco has also put out proposals to lease a fast ferry for two years with an option for an additional year. That tender closes on October 26.

On repayment of the Aranjuez/El Socorro Overpass, Nidco’s expenditure was reduced from $33,423, 210 to $31,840,827.

In terms of statutory boards which fall under the Works and Transport Ministry, there were increased allocations for expenditure for the Public Services Transport Corporation ( $269,471,630 to $306,349,026) and the Civil Aviation Authority ($9,334,000 to $10,000,000).

The Airports Authority ($167,834,755 to $137,465,500) and the Port Authority ($48,623,064 to $42,517,948) got reduced allocations from 2018 to 2019. On repayment of the Trinidad Rapid Rail Transit Systems, Nidco’s expenditure was reduced from $20,633, 205 to $9,894,436, from 2018 to 2019.