Imbert: Overruns on ANR Robinson Airport at TT$16.9M

Senior Reporter

dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt

Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday admitted that the Government is paying more than expected for the new ANR Robinson International Airport, but he said it is nowhere near the half a billion dollars Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is alleging. Rather, it is only US$2.5 million (TT$16.9 million).

Speaking at the post-Cabinet media conference at Whitehall, Port-of-Spain, Imbert said Persad-Bissessar’s comments on the project hinged on three main points; a cost overrun of TT$462 million, multiple instances of failure to meet specifications and building codes on the superstructure, and extensive delays.

Addressing the media for the first time since the allegations were made on Monday, Imbert acknowledged that the original construction contract was US$128.7 million (TT$872 million), inclusive of provisional sums and contingencies. He also admitted the project is slightly behind schedule, as the completion date was January 2025 after COVID-19 delayed works which began in 2020.

However, Imbert said contrary to Persad-Bissessar’s claims that the project has accrued TT$431 million in cost overruns, the original figure increased by only two per cent. He explained, though, that the original contract catered for US$11.5m (TT$77.9 million) in case of variations, adding that this has since risen to US$14 million (TT$94.8 million).

“As of today, the original construction contract sum (US$128.7 million) has been exceeded by US$2.5 million or two per cent,” he said, attributing this to variations stemming from enhancements to the ICT and ELV components of the project, global increases in the cost of airport equipment and construction materials following the COVID-19 pandemic, and delay claims caused by pandemic-related restrictions.

He also denied the main contractor, China Railway Construction Caribbean Company Limited, had been cutting corners.

On Persad-Bissessar’s allegation that oversight consultant, CEP limited, was fired for refusing to “rubber stamp” documents to move the project forward, Imbert said their contract was simply not renewed.

“It was felt there was need to bring on new consultants,” he said.

“You have to understand that no consultant in Trinidad and Tobago has done a project of this complexity before, it’s the first time. This is not a dolly house. 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 (Mott McDonald) and one of the top construction management firms in the world (Gleeds) to advise us,” he added.

While he would not validate the January McDonald report or November 22 Gleeds reports being circulated in the public domain to raise issues surrounding the quality of the work and attempts to fast-track to a soft opening early next year, Imbert said he has received 11 reports since December 2023. He said the latest information he has is that the target date for completion of construction is March 31, 2025, with handover planned for the same month.

“They told me today that the project is on target to be completed in March of 2025 and the project is being built in accordance with the highest international airport construction standards,” he explained.

Imbert said there has been “remarkable” progress on the site, which is 91 per cent complete. He added that construction, testing and handover is on schedule, at which point the Airport’s Authority can commence operational fit-out, training and readiness to support the go-live date of July 2025.

Having been retained by the Ministry of Finance for consulting, he said Mott McDonald has so far been paid US$200,000 (TT$1.4 million) via a grant from the CAF – Development Bank while Gleeds has been paid US$421,000 (TT$2.8 million) under a similar arrangement.

Asked to present their reports to the public, Imbert said he would seek advice.

Meanwhile, Imbert also dismissed Persad-Bissessar’s allegation that People’s National Movement (PNM) financiers had been hired as sub-contractors for the project. He refused to formally respond unless Persad-Bissessar names the contractors. He also condemned her calls for a criminal probe to be conducted.

“What is the criminal offence that has been committed that requires a criminal investigation?” he asked.

“Isn’t local content required? Isn’t it a requirement that if a foreign contractor is working in Trinidad and Tobago, that they need to maximise local content? So, if a Chinese contractor gets a project in the state of Trinidad and Tobago, the twin-island state, and the project is in Tobago, don’t you expect them to hire Tobagonians and suppliers of goods and services in Tobago? And contractors resident in Tobago? Is the leader of the Opposition saying every single supplier of goods and services in Tobago is a PNM financier? That’s nonsense!”

He reiterated that the project is being carefully constructed.

“In fact, one of the reasons for the delay in the project was that all the consultants were being careful, especially with the events that we are seeing around the world with climate change in terms of the intensity of hurricanes and so on, being very, very careful to make sure that the design was done in accordance with the proper international standards.”

At a United National Congress (UNC) cottage meeting on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar said the airport project had ballooned in price, amassing TT$431 million in cost overruns owing to 1,127 days of delayed works.

However, in response to this on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley condemned her comments as “a scandalous outburst and torrent of baseless allegations,” adding it was a malicious attempt to tarnish the project and score political points.

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