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Chief Secretary Farley Augustine at a recent press conference. Photo by David Reid
CONTRACTORS owed to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will only be paid the “true value of their work” and not the terms of their contracts. Contractors are owed over $390 million by THA.
Speaking on Tobago Channel Five’s Rise and Shine program on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said contractors would soon start receiving payment. But he warned: “I’m only paying contractors the value of their work. So in cases where we’ve seen inflated invoices, where we’ve seen invoices for work that’s incomplete, you’ll only be paid the value of the work that’s been done – the true value of the work that’s been done.”
He blamed the previous administration’s pre-election expenses for THA’s excessive debts.
Asked how they will determine the “true value” to be paid to each contractor, he said the ongoing audit of THA will help.
“So the quantity surveyors would look at the work done, they would look at the material used, they would also look at the quality of the materials used and cost them – that would determine the true value of the works done and this process it has already started. It is already ongoing.
“The payments would actually come before the fiscal year, sooner rather than later. In fact, I have pushed the division to make the first payments this August.”
He said he will ensure that where corruption is suspected, the fraud squad is also involved.
“This would show that those who are now in the Minority aided and abetted and participated in some very lazy behavior and they must answer to the public of Tobago as to why this was so. It is appalling that some of what has been revealed has become standard practice within THA and this should be something that we need to deal with and we need to deal with forcefully.”
At a July 22 press conference, Augustini had announced that contractors would begin meeting individually with an independent team to discuss the way forward to get their money.
In an interview with Newsday on Wednesday, a contractor, who wished to remain anonymous, said this has yet to materialize.
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Responding to Augustini’s last statement, he said: “We have no problem with the assessment, but the assessors have not spoken to any contractor. We never had a date.”
He said a date for when these payments will begin needs to be confirmed.
“Time is running out. Everyone has been given until the end of the month by the banks to get their accounts in order or face foreclosure — everyone.”
Asked only about paying the “true value of the work,” another contractor said some contractors are willing to give a percentage of their contract back to the assembly, but there would have to be some negotiation and discussion.
“You can’t tell me I have a $100 million (contract) and I was only going to get $8 million; you have to have some kind of negotiation with people. Do they (assessors) know what was underground before the concrete? Do they know the rate of work? They don’t have the photos, they don’t have the videos; so the appraisers, as far as we know, didn’t speak (sic) to anyone, and that was until this morning.”
