The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE UK-based project management and engineering firm, Mott MacDonald, has been paid more that $16 million for supervisory services related to road building contracts in New Providence over the past 13 years, the Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday, adding that he was considering a different approach in the future.

Philip Davis, minister of works and urban development, in his contribution to the Budget debate, said: "So far, over the past 13 years, this one consulting engineering company, Mott MacDonald, has been paid more than $16 million to provide supervisory services to road building contracts in New Providence.

"All of these contracts are obviously being assigned by the Government of the Bahamas. We have an obligation to learn from the past. We have an obligation to use past experience to craft a better way forward. This we will do."

Mr Davis noted that the history of Mott MacDonald and road building in New Providence began as far back as 1999 when the New Providence Infrastructure Improvement Project (NPIIP) was first conceived.

But he added: "I am considering a different approach for the future, which will involve employing sufficient engineers on staff at the Ministry to carry out the mandate to supervise and manage contracts.

"This will permit the strengthening of institutional departments within the Ministry and allow for more wide-ranging and dependable service to the Bahamian people. Sometimes these engineers will be employed on relatively short-term contracts for specific projects, and some will be on long-term. We simply can't continue with the same old, same old."