Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul, today called out the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha over his decision to terminate the contract for the construction of a pump station at Black Bush Polder. He said the ‘premature’ decision could now result in millions of taxpayers’ dollars being wasted.

The $978M contract was terminated in September for a number of reasons including poor work. The contract had been awarded to Yunas Civil and Building Construction.

Though flagging the project, MP Mahipaul, in a statement opposed the premature termination of the contract.

“In a brazen display of fiscal irresponsibility, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has, in a short-sighted move, inflicted grave financial harm upon the hardworking taxpayers of our nation. His termination of the contract for the construction of the Pump Station at Black Bush Polder, designed to irrigate the Black Bush Front lands, will unquestionably result in a haemorrhage of millions of precious taxpayer dollars,” the Opposition Parliamentarian said.

He reasoned that the termination clause of the contract would necessitate the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to not only pay for the measured work but also for the materials already present on the construction site at the time of this decision.

According to MP Mahipaul, he conducted an on-site inspection of the project today, and found that many of the installed steel rods have started to corrode.

“There, unmistakably, lay a cage-like formation of steel rods, consisting of both one-inch and three-quarters-inch corrugated steel rods, spanning the entire base of the project, atop what appears to be a concrete foundation. Moreover, a disheartening quantity of steel rods lie in a state of advanced rust, slowly decaying. With this project slated for retendering, these valuable materials will continue to deteriorate, translating into an exorbitant financial loss for the taxpayers,” he explained.

In his estimation, $38M in steel rods have been damaged. 

MP Mahipaul said whenever the project is re-tendered and awarded for a second time, the new contractor would not be able to use the rust-ridden steel rods.

He warned that using such corroded materials would not only compromise the structural integrity of the project but would also raise grave concerns regarding the safety and longevity of the infrastructure.

The Opposition MP said instead of terminating the contract, the Agriculture Ministry should have implored the contractor to advance the project.

“Zulfikar Mustapha chose to act hastily, without regard for the financial interests of the taxpayers or the integrity of the project itself. In my view, the wisest decision would have been to protect taxpayers’ investments by ensuring the concrete was applied to these steel rods before any termination took place,” he said.

MP Mahipaul said Minister Mustapha has failed in this fundamental responsibility to act in the best interest of taxpayers.

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