The construction of roads after the installation of sewer pipes in Malakal remains incomplete as the Italian company given the contract to by PPUC in September of 2016 was supposed to wind up the project by last year’s August.
The project which is a part of Koror-Airai Sanitation is given to two companies that won the bid and both covered different areas in Koror, the Italian company was Progetti Dondi JV and another company from New Zealand called Pacific Engineering Projects (PEP).
PPUC Director of Administration Tmetuchl Baules said, “The bids for the project were three lots. PEP were given lots two and three while Progetti Dondi JV were given one lot.”
The Bureau of Public Works (BPW) works is in process of rehabilitation of roads in three packages and have issued an advertisement for it. One of which is T-Dock intersection to Malakal where the repairs by both of the PPUC contractors are still in the making.
Director of BPW Brian Melairei said, “I am being delayed because I have to wait for the PPUC contractor to make repairs so I can come and overlay on it. My project is to overlay and I cannot overlay on the top of an unpaved area.”
He also added that BPW has been trying to push PPUC to complete the works so the rehabilitation project can start. Melairei is one of the members of the board of PPUC.
The contract price given to Progetti Dondi JV for the Malakal Sewrage Network is $5,660,667.18 USD.
“Progetti is also responsible for the area next to Palau Pacific Resort, you can’t see anything [project work] over there as they haven’t even started,” Baules said.
PEP is responsible for Koror Sewerage Network and New Malakal Sewer Treatment Plant. The work for Koror Sewerage Network, with a contract price of $5,073,843.96 USD, started in September of 2016 as well and their ideal original end date was August 27, 2018. It was later extended to April 2019 and remains flexible as it is subjected to cleaning of the pipelines.
“Interconnection works now await breaking of existing manhole to insert new line however, as per PPUC CCTV findings, debris and grit have been found in pipe. PPUC has advised contractor to clean pipes before interconnection can be made,” Baules added.
The New Malakal Sewer Treatment Plant started in February 5 2018 and the target date for the project is September 2019 and the contract price is $9,825,654.65.
Baules added that PEP is on schedule and the delay is with Progetti. He also added that the delay Progetti faces in completion of the project is due to limited manpower, lack of materials on the island and its arrival.
However, he did not clarify if a contractor is liable for penalty when project is delayed.
“Due to late mobilization in January 2019, following warning for termination letter sent by PPUC, contractor had limited progress for the month.”
Progetti has currently hired a sub-contractor which is a Philippines based company to commence mechanical work at Malakal.
“PPUC has also met with ROP Leadership that includes the Office of the President and both Houses of Congress (Senate and House of Delegates),” Baules said. (By Eshan Kalyanikar)