Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter by Mr Flatts in DC, dated March 30 in response to my letter published in SN dated March 21 on the subject of maintaining the drainage and irrigation (D&I) systems.
I recall the amount of the loan from the IDB as US$42M quoted in the press at the time, and not the US$25M quoted by Messrs Flatts and Persaud in their letters.
Since the engineering fees of over US$2M were not disputed and therefore accepted, and it is normal for consultant’s fees of this nature to be around 5% of the total cost, then it can be assumed the IDB loan was initially around US42M unless proven otherwise in writing by the IDB.
I also perused the contract documents at that time for the project prepared by the consultants and was even asked by one contractor to help with the bid. I feel the IDB and other agencies should be monitoring how their loan monies are being utilized in Third World countries similar to the ’60s and ’70s when loan monies were fully scrutinized to ensure the engineering works were carried out in accordance with the contract documents and that there was no hanky panky.
I do not want to comment on the various D&I works claimed to be done to date. Despite all these works, flooding is still evident whenever there is even a little rainfall.
I note the government intends to rehabilitate the 35-year-old plus pumps at Victoria, Craig Milne and Cane Grove, and that will also be another waste of money.
The first two pumps were installed in 1969 and 1970 to keep the drainage outfalls clear and the three pumps in Cane Grove in 1976 for drainage.
They have long outlived their usefulness and should be replaced with new pumps and the canals rehabilitated according to their original design.
Yours faithfully,
M Alli
