Prime Minister Patrick Manning said yesterday the TT$15 billion rapid rail project will go ahead as scheduled, despite calls from several construction industry interest groups for Government to put a halt to the initiative, as they claim the procurement process being used is flawed and prone to corruption.
By Juhel BrowneIn response to a question on those criticisms yesterday, Manning defended the existing procurement process and said it will ensure the right contractor gets the job and savings to the taxpayers.
"The railway project must be built. On what basis must we not build the railway project? I would like somebody to say that. What's the objection to it?" he said.
Manning did so while speaking to reporters after he toured the site of the Waterfront Development Project in downtown Port of Spain, which has an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.
He said the Government is using a new procurement process for the railway project and will be making a comprehensive statement on the matter, but did not say when this would be done.
On Tuesday interest groups opposed to the project, including the local chapter of Transparency International, said the procurement system leaves room for corruption.
Yesterday, Manning said, "The rapid rail system is the largest project ever to be built in Trinidad and Tobago and for this purpose we have introduced a new process of procurement, different from anything that has ever been done here, but consistent with the systems that are being used in the developed countries of the world.
"... We are not afraid to try new systems and in the case of the rapid rail system, we are putting an approach in place that will give use the best chance of success at the lowest cost."
Bombardier qualify for rapid rail project
In other news, the Ministry of Works and Transport does not intend to disqualify Bombardier or the consortium it is associated with following the group's proposal for the rapid railway project.
This followed legal advice sought by the ministry on Bombardier's involvement in the consortium.
The headline "Govt wants to disqualify company from rail project" in a story in yesterday's Express may have conveyed the wrong impression about Bombardier with respect to the rapid railway project.
