Dear Editor,
I refer to a report in KN dated 23.8.09 on the Stanleytown project containing a response by the Ministry of Finance to queries raised earlier in that newspaper about the price paid for the pump.

In my opinion it was highly irregular for a contract to be awarded based on only one bid. The ministry did not mention if there was an engineer’s estimate for the project. It is very easy via the internet to obtain a quote from the US for the cost of the pump and for the government to purchase it and then tender for a quote for its installation. I am sure the government would have received many quotations. This would remove any suggestion of hanky panky with the tender.

The manufacturer normally supplies installation instructions and a wiring diagram for the pump.

It is no big deal to install the pump, since all you need is qualified electrician and a foreman with mechanical know-how; a few labourers and a lifting crane with supervision from the engineer.

I am sure it would have cost far less to supply and install the pump. That is how all the pumps were installed along the coast during the ’60s and ’70s.

I am also concerned about the repair of the two pumps at Liliendaal. These pumps among several others were purchased in 1969, installed in 1977 as well as repaired I believe, on at least two occasions by the city council. It is ludicrous to spend nearly US$440M to repair these pumps that have passed their life expectancy of 25 years. One of the pumps also had holes in it.

It would have been far cheaper to purchase new pumps and install same as described above. All you have to do is lift out the old ones with a crane and install the new ones and make adjustments to tie in to the discharge pipe outlet through the sea defence coping wall. The existing electrical sub-station would have required some minor upgrading.

The money remaining from the Liliendaal project would have helped in the cost of re-conditioning the main supply drain, cleaning the basin, etc, to maintain an adequate supply of water so as not to burn out the motors of the pump.
It is evident that the government is lacking in engineering expertise both in the D&I and Sea Defence sectors.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Alli