The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An ex-Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president yesterday slammed the Government’s “corner cutting” on Urban Renewal’s Small Home repairs, saying it provided a “snapshot” of the country’s woes.

Stephen Wrinkle told Tribune Business that the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) majority report had further emphasised the urgent need to pass the Contractors Bill so that Bahamians had some protection against shoddy workmanship.

He added that the report’s revelations were likely the “tip of the iceberg”, and spotlighted “the serious trouble” that the Bahamas is in when it comes to governance and corruption issues.

The majority report by the PAC’s three FNM MP members, Hubert Chipman, K P Turnquest and Richard Lightbourn, highlighted the continuing failure of government agencies to ensure contractors they hired possessed the necessary insurance.

This weakness was exposed several years ago by the now-notorious Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) dormitory fire, an incident likely to have cost taxpayers several millions of dollars, and Urban Renewal appears no better.

The PAC’s majority report said the Small Repairs programme lacked documents showing that hired contractors possessed valid Business Licences, and/or were up to date on National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions.

It added that there was “no evidence” of pre-qualification for contractors engaged by the Small Homes repairs initiative, and “in most cases” where Business Licences were produced, they were for other professions.

Gregory Butler, the Urban Renewal Commission’s deputy director, was also said to have admitted that “most contractors” were hired based on recommendations from their MP rather than being ‘best man or woman for the job’.

He also disclosed how one home “collapsed” when repair work began, which the majority PAC report blamed on “negligence” by either the inspectors or the contractor.

“They’re certainly not moving in the right direction, are they?” Mr Wrinkle told Tribune Business, after being informed of the majority PAC report’s contents.

“One has to wonder why they would do that when homes have to be built to withstand hurricanes, and people have to live in them. Why would they cut corners like that?

“It’s disappointing. It’s such a struggle with the Government. The private sector is trying to do what’s right, and they undercut them.”

Giving their assessment of Urban Renewal’s contractor hiring practices, the FNM’s PAC majority said: “Several files reviewed showed that contractors for the Small Homes repair project were qualified if they had nothing more than a Business License and were current with National Insurance.

“In most cases, the Business License was for business other than construction/handyman or maintenance services. No technical proficiency was demanded to repair homes under this project.”

The report continued: “Deputy director Butler indicated that while the policy is to always have all documents required on file, including the Deputy Prime Minister’s approval for projects in excess of $10,000, there were exceptions.

“The PAC reviewed files where a complete set of documents to qualify contractors for engagement in Small Homes repairs were not present.

“Documents omitted included insurance certificates, evidence of current Business License, evidence of NIB status, scope of works documents signed by the homeowner, contractor, inspector or quantity surveyor reports.”

Mr Wrinkle told Tribune Business that there was little chance of correcting this system unless the Contractors Bill became law, bringing with it a system of self-regulation that would license/certify all Bahamian contractors based on the work they are able to perform.

“I think that points to the need for the legislation to be passed,” he said of the majority PAC report.

“We have to take this type of work out of the hands of politicians, and until such time as we do that, we will not have adherence to the Building Code and not have quality people building homes.

“Without licensing and certification, there’s no quality control. Look at car licensing and inspection. They want every form of identification known to man, yet anybody can build anything, and they let someone live in it,” Mr Wrinkle added.

“That cannot be right; it isn’t right. For the Government to continue that practice is totally unacceptable.”

The majority PAC report said: “Deputy director Butler indicated that some home repairs and most contractors were recommended by their MP, and Urban Renewal had little ability to overrule the nomination.

“As a result, the quality and standards of the work can be inconsistent. This practice gives the opportunity for victimisation, abuse and corruption.

“Highly questionable quality control standards were employed, resulting in full payment for work that was either sub-standard or nonexistent. It is quite clear that the public did not get value for its money, and that opportunities for dishonest dealing, fraud and profiteering abounded.”

The majority PAC report said the Small Homes repair initiative was overseen by a quantity surveyor who admitted she was “unqualified”, and used as “a rubber stamp” to certify construction work as complete when it had never been inspected.

“That was a major, multi-faceted undertaking that should have been undertaken by a reputable firm, not an individual,” Mr Wrinkle said of the Small Home repairs project.

“I’m totally not surprised, but I’m certainly disappointed, [at the findings]. It’s a pretty good indication of how the Government and the country is being run.

“It’s a snapshot of what is going on in the country today. It’s scary. My question is: Who will be held accountable? Where’s the accountability?”

Mr Wrinkle added that the PAC report’s conclusions, while “sad and predictable’, showed how the Government was spending taxpayer monies.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” he told Tribune Business. “One little thing’s made it out there.

“We’re in trouble. We’re in serious trouble in this country, and unless the Bahamian people as a whole stand up and demand accountability, this will continue.”

The majority PAC report’s recommendations dovetail with the proposed Contractors Bill, as it calls for all independent contractors - including quantity surveyors and architects - to be licensed professionals.

“All contractors have third party liability insurance so as to fully protect homeowners and occupants of homes repaired under Small Home repairs and other Urban Renewal programmes,” the report urged.

“All contractors be fully vetted according to appropriate industry standards and acceptable levels of experience for the work they are seeking to undertake.”