Dear Editor,
Kindly allow me some space to defend my company against the sustained and unwarranted attack it has undergone in the recent past in both the electronic and print media relative to our work at Kato on the secondary school.
Kares Engineering started as a small company and with hard work and smart application has grown to become one of Guyana’s largest and most successful engineering firms. It is part of a strategic group of companies listed below:-
- Kares Engineering Inc. – Engineering services and general construction
- Bushy Park Redi-Mix and Pre-stressing Inc – Supplier of Ready mix concrete and fabrication of pre-cast, pre-stress members i.e. piles, decking, sheet piles etc.
- Bushy Park Sawmills Inc.
To date we have successfully completed over 30 schools, several roads, wharves, bridges and numerous other civil engineering contracts for both the private and public sector. Confidence in the firm’s capability is demonstrated by its ability to keep winning and successfully completing projects for both the Government and Private clients.
The most sustained and detailed forensic audit of all our works will demonstrate that we are head and shoulders above our competitors.
Kato
Here are a few facts about the Kato school project we would like you to consider. The issue has taken a deliberate, in our opinion, political slant and we, as an engineering firm, want to clarify the engineering issues without delving into the political nuances. We are prepared to supply solid evidence to verify the statements we make below. We challenge the Government to do the same. We remain committed to the project and are willing to work with the government to discuss and correct issues for which the company may be liable.
Facts about the Kato School project
The school was built by Kares Engineering to rigid specifications set out by the Government of Guyana. The project was completed, within budget, accepted and received by the Government of Guyana without complaint on its completion.
- Built and completed within budget, there was no cost overrun
Original cost $728 Million | Finished cost $728 Million |Cost paid to contractor $662 Million | Contractor still owed $66 Million.
Kares Engineering never received $1 Billion as is being claimed by the Government of Guyana and the opposition. This is a political statement that is being passed around as fact.
- The Kato School was built within specifications as established by the Government of Guyana.
The building meets and in many cases exceeds the contract specifications. This was accepted by the supervising consultant. All specifications and changes in design or materials were made by the consultant and passed on to Kares Engineering. Kares Engineering made no independent decision to change or alter any specification.
- The concrete meets and exceeds the contract-specified 3,000 PSI:
Kares Engineering is confident that the school will pass a compression strength test, the standard for concrete testing. The company is disputing the conflicting Schmidt Hammer readings since both the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s and the “independent” contracting firm’s results show vastly conflicting readings with differences as high as 2,920 PSI. Kares Engineering passed 22 out of 24 structural tests conducted by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, only after this an “independent” test was ordered.
- The building is protected against termites for five years.
The building is still under warranty for termite treatment and will be so for the five years from the date of the contract completion. The Government has not asked or told the contractor about any termite problem nor have they requested the free remedial measures available to them under the warranty terms.
- The Government has never officially notified or requested the engineering firm to correct any works:
- To date Kares Engineering is not in receipt of a complaint or request for corrective works.
- The Defects Liability period was left to expire, without request for correction.
The building was under warranty and corrections could have been made. The Government requested none.
- There are no structural cracks in the building.
The building has a few cracks which is common to concrete structures and could have been corrected under the defects liability period. This was never requested.
- Kares Engineering paid workers in Kato higher wages than were paid in Georgetown.
Kares Engineering paid workers in the village of Kato on average $9,000 per a day, this is higher than wages paid to similarly unskilled workers in Georgetown. We have wage sheets to prove this and these were submitted to the contractor.
- Residents were paid S150 Per BM to cut wood.
Initially one team requested $300 per BM but later we were able to negotiate with another village team for a cost of $150 per BM (we have payment sheets to show this)
- A detailed ten-page response was sent to the audit firm:
They have chosen to ignore it and now claim that Kares Engineering did not respond.
Questions that must be answered:
Why is Kares Engineering being singled out to be made a scapegoat when all the works were done within specification?
Why is a successful engineering firm being wrongfully accused without a right to reply or official request for corrections?
Did the audit team tell the media that the hole in the corridor was created by them in order to determine the thickness of the concrete?
Why did the audit team choose to ignore responses sent by the contractor that explained several issues?
Why does the audit team seek to draw political comparisons when they have been hired to do an engineering evaluation?
The way forward as we see it:
Kares Engineering wants to ensure that the children of Kato get to use the much needed school and that the people of Guyana get to benefit from the project. The delayed opening of the school also delays the hydropower project promised to the Region through European Union funding. Our company always has our client’s best interest in mind as a result we propose the following measures to remedy any issue.
- Kares Engineering is prepared to meet with the Government of Guyana to discuss issues with the building and how they can be resolved.
- Have coring and compression strength tests (the only acceptable industry standard) on the building to verify beyond doubt the strength of the concrete. Kares Engineering is prepared to pay 50% of this cost if requested.
- Discuss repairs that are deemed necessary to the building. Kares Engineering is prepared to fix defects which should have been identified under the defects liability period and to remedy those that are applicable despite the fact that the liability period has expired.
Yours faithfully,
Radesh Rameshwar
Director Kares Engineering Inc.
