WASA board: 'Party done' for contractors

WATER and Sewerage Authority (WASA) board commissioner Allister Bandoo is warning contractors that come 2024, the "party done."

Speaking at the launch of Freeport wells numbers 19 and 20 on Wednesday, Bandoo said the authority was "turning over a new stone" (sic) in the new year. As part of it, he said, WASA would no longer tolerate subpar work from its contractors.

Bandoo said, "I expect 2024 to be a challenging year. I make no mistake about it, saying 2024 will be one of the most important years for the authority. I say to executives: take ownership of your departments; and to the wider WASA community, support us...

"To all the contractors, all freeness done. In the words of songwriter Machel Montano, 'D party done.'

"You would be held to account, and we are no longer accepting cost overruns, lengthy delays and shoddy works: 2024, for the Water and Sewerage Authority, starts now. It starts today."

In an interview with Newsday after the event, Bandoo said over 2023, the authority had made strides in how it executed projects it intended to continue in the new year. That, he said, meant WASA would adjust how it kept an eye on its contractors.

"It's a different level of oversight that the contractor will feel from the authority. The level of inspection, the level of oversight, the level of accountability, the management from the WASA leadership teams, it will be more intense.

"We intend to take it to a different level to ensure that every cent that is spent from the public purse is well spent."