The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamian Contractors Association’s (BCA) president says spending $2.5m to replace an elevator at the Government’s Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre is “quite exceptional”, and asked: “Is it made of gold?”

Leonard Sands, who told Tribune Business he has experience in install- ing elevators, said the price tag outlined in the mid-year Budget book raised questions over whether Bahamian taxpayers are receiving value for money.

The Davis administration is reallocating $2.5m from the Ministry of Finance’s capital budget “to the removal of the existing elevator and installation of a new elevator at the Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre”, which houses both that same ministry as well as the Prime Minister’s Office.

However, Mr Sands told this newspaper that based on his experience the work could be carried out for around one-quarter or 25 percent of this sum - around $600,000. “Let me give you some education on the cost of an elevator, which I’ve done,” he said.

“You don’t move the shaft, the core of the elevator. That is the hydraulic lift part if it is an elevator shaft, or it can be an elevator on rails. The main mechanism for how the elevator moves up and down doesn’t change. You can repair and replace those parts at a nominal cost.”

As for the cab, which carries persons up and down through various levels of the building, Mr Sands said these can be replaced if suffering from “wear and tear” or a fresh look is desired. “They can be replaced for anywhere between $200,000 and $300,000 per cab ,” the BCA president said, adding that two cabs should cost no more than $600,000.

“For $2.5m, that is quite exceptional as a cost,” Mr Sands said of the price tag detailed in the mid-year Budget book. “Some questions have to be asked. The line item we’re talk- ing about, the elevator, it’s questionable that you can spend $2.5m refitting or refurbishing the elevator in the building. That’s not in line with what’s reasonable.

“We have to question what we are spending money on. That’s almost $3m on the elevator. You can build a building, put an elevator in it, and not spend $3m. Why are we spending $2.5m on an elevator? That’s not the best use of public funds. That’s my view. If I were to analyse the basic construction cost for an elevator that’s not what it would cost.”

Asserting that he “can certainly help them spend less on it”, Mr Sands continued: “Two-and-a-half million dollars is not in keeping with the best pricing. Maybe, just maybe, it stands to reason that the Government procurement process needs to be looked at. There could be substantial savings from having this process outsourced.

“That [$2.5m cost] is certainly not acceptable. Let’s hope they don’t do the same exercise across the board as they will be spending tons of money that they do not need to.” A former public servant, familiar with the Cecil Wallace Whitfield building, also voiced surprise at the publicised cost. “It’s a one-shaft elevator that goes up three storeys. There’s no way in hell it could cost $2.5m,” they argued.

The issue was also seized upon by Adrian White, the Opposition MP for St Ann’s, during the mid-year Budget debate in the House of Assembly as he suggested the project could be accomplished for $600,000 rather than the $2.5m price tag.

Tribune Business reached out to the Prime Minister’s spokesperson to inquire about the elevator project and the justification for the $2.5m cost. Although receipt of this newspaper’s inquiry was confirmed, no response was received before press deadline last night despite a follow-up reminder being sent.