Imbert defends Tobago airport project

Finance Minister Colm Imbert has denied claims by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the ANR Robinson International Airport expansion project in Crown Point, Tobago, has incurred cost overruns of $462 million and is failing to meet specifications and building codes.

He said there has been a cost overrun of US$2.5 million and the project is running behind schedule, but construction is expected to be completed by March 31, 2025.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing on December 5, Imbert said the original construction contract sum was US$128.7 million, including provisional sums and contingencies.

“The amount for contingencies in the contract was US$11.5 million and the actual costing of the provisional and contingency items is now about US$14 million. This was included in the original contract sum.

"As of today, the original contract sum has been exceeded by US$2.5 million, or two per cent.

“(This is) as a result of variations arising from enhancement of the information and communications technology (ICT) and extra-low voltage (ELV) components of the job, worldwide increases in the cost of airport equipment and construction materials in the aftermath of the covid19 pandemic, roadworks and claims for delays from the pandemic, among other things.

"There is no cost overrun of $462 million, as falsely claimed by the Opposition Leader.”

He said the contractors would make other claims, but the process was that the employer and the project engineers would look at these and determine what the contractor is entitled to, and if the contractor is not happy with that, it would go to the dispute resolution process.

Addressing Persad-Bissessar’s claims that there were multiple instances of failure to meet specifications and building codes on the terminal building’s superstructure and foundation, requiring a criminal investigation, Imbert said, “The foundation and superstructure of the terminal building are safe, and the entire project, including the foundation and superstructure, is being built in accordance with the appropriate international standards and building codes, suitable for an international airport.

"There are no multiple failures of specifications or breaches of building codes, as falsely alleged by the Opposition Leader.

He said he was given this information by one of the international consultants the ministry had engaged to oversee the project.

“What on earth would a criminal investigation be required for? Why? Just because she said so? What is the rationale, tell me? What is the criminal offence that has been committed that requires a criminal investigation?

“This is completely unlike the Piarco Airport, where the foreign contractor pleaded guilty in a court in the US, went to jail and paid restitution and now there’s a civil matter,  (and) the court has awarded almost $1 billion to the TT government.

"What is the crime that has allegedly been committed on this project? I would like to know. This is just scandalisation by the leader of the Opposition.

"I cannot associate myself with the corruption that took place on the Piarco Airport. This project is nothing like that.”

Imbert said the project was 91 per cent complete and was behind schedule because of delays caused by the pandemic, among other things. He said progress on the site had been remarkable over the last nine months and the current planned construction, testing of the equipment and operational elements in the airport and handover date of March 2025 were on schedule.

He said at that point, the Airports Authority of TT would start operational fit-out, training and readiness to support a go-live date in July 2025 according to their schedule.

Persad-Bissessar quoted from and circulated a report which appears to have been prepared by international consulting firm Mott McDonald (MML).

Asked about the report, Imbert told reporters, “I don’t know what the leader of the Opposition is referring to. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mott McDonald has made many reports.

"I have no idea what is being circulated. But what I can tell you is that both Mott McDonald and Gleeds have reported to the Ministry of Finance that the project is being built to the highest appropriate and applicable international standards.”

Imbert said if the report Persad-Bissessar was circulating was almost 11 months old, it might be outdated. He said Gleeds reported monthly and he had received 11 reports since 2023.

Asked about claims that CEP Ltd had been fired by the employer on the project, National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco), for “failing to rubberstamp substandard work,” Imbert said this was nonsense.

“There was no request made of any consultant to rubberstamp anything.
"One of the reasons for the delay in the project was that all the consultants were being very careful, especially with the events being seen around the world with climate change, to ensure the design was being done in accordance with proper international standards.”

Imbert said CEP Ltd’s contract came to an end and was not renewed. He said Nidco, not the Finance Ministry, hired the company, and the ministry did not have a say in whether its contract was renewed.

“It was felt there was need to bring on new consultants. No consultant in TT has done a project of this complexity before. This is the first time. This is why we in Finance felt it was important and necessary to bring on one of the top aviation consulting firms in the world and one of the top construction management firms in the world to advise us.”

He said while Nidco was the executing agency, it did not report to the Ministry of Works and Transport. He said the role of the ministry was to receive the project.

Imbert said Mott McDonald and Gleeds were hired through grant funding for technical assistance from the Andean Development Bank (CAF).

“Mott McDonald was engaged through a non-reimbursable technical co-operation agreement with the bank in 2023. CAF provided us with a grant of US$100,000 to do their initial work of examination of the project and how it was progressing.

"We had a second non-reimbursable technical co-operation agreement and they again paid Mott McDonald an additional US$100,000. Based on the information I have, Mott McDonald has been paid US$200,000.

“Gleeds Ltd was also engaged through non-reimbursable technical co-operation agreement with CAF and they were paid US$140,000 up to August, a further US$140,000 in September and US$140,000 in October, totalling an amount to date of US$421,000.”

Imbert said he was proud to be associated with the construction of the new airport and was looking forward to its completion in March.