FDL Consult Inc. Mr Gilbert Fontenarde is flanked by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith and Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool following the singing of the contract for setting the CDB loan in motion. Photo: VINO

Chief of Infrastructural Planning, Research and Development in the Ministry of Communications and Works, Dr. Drexel Glasgow has been fingered as Government's point-man for the overseeing of the infrastructural rehabilitation project under the CDB loan. Photo: VINO

The fear of some persons is that with the elapsed time of over two years, the conditions of the projects identified would have changed. It is understood by those familiar with the manner in which international donor agencies and lending institutions such as the CDB funds are expended that the government may have to return to the drawing table with the CDB for amendments; a process which has the potential of taking a very long time.

This issue was addressed to a small point during the contracting signing ceremony with the consulting engineering firm FDL Consult Inc. and Government on March 15, 2013.

A number of roads networks and drainage system, which were damaged by Tropical Storm Otto over two years ago, were initially air-marked to be rehabilitated through the CDB loan over two years when the government of the Virgin Islands had entered into the agreement with the CDB. However, Minister of Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool indicated on Friday that while there has been no change thus far, there will be need for an adjustment to the prior set list of roads to be addressed.

As is, according to Hon Vanterpool, the list of project includes two in Carrot Bay, one in Jost Van Dyke, Cane Garden Bay, Windy Hill, three in Baughers Bay, two in Harrigan's Estate, Pockwood Pond, Pleasant Valley, Sea Cows Bay, Road Town, Upper Huntum's Gut, Huntum's Gut, Horse Path, Long Trench, Notthingham Estate, Thomas Land, Greenland,  and a major drainage project in Valley, Virgin Gorda.

"These projects will touch the lives and citizens and businesses alike as Government moves and creates safer drains, roads and bridges networks throughout the Territory," noted Hon. Vanterpool.

Responding to the question as to whether there will be an adjustment to the list, Hon. Vanterpool explained that because this process has been going on for quite some time, "the approval of the loan, the access to it and now the engineering aspects of it has been signed which had to go through a procurement process which took pretty longer than we had hoped."

He further explained that because there were some precarious areas that the Government had seen necessary to do, they were done. "Jost Van Dyke for example and a few small projects on Tortola." He said that covers the Government's portion that is required under the CDB regulations.

However, he said that it is obvious that after two and a half years some things may have been done and others may have become more precarious. "The Government is reviewing how we are going to fund those but the actual projects no changes has been made up to this point," assured Hon. Vanterpool.

It was forward that there might be some conditions of deterioration over time and Hon Vanterpool responded, "Our engineer who is taken on board will, when he makes his reviews, will consider that and if there are to be changes to be made I am sure he'll put forward recommendations and as a government we'll have to take them forward and how we treat them. Hopefully we wouldn't have any major adjustments in costs to the projects and if we do obviously it is in our best interest to ensure that the project is done correctly for the safety and well being of the businesses and residents in the Territory."

Hon Vanterpool said that the "Chief of Infrastructural Planning, Research and Development, Ministry of Communications and Works Dr. Drexel Glasgow" will be the point man as he will be the one leading the team from beginning to finish.

On the grounds that only contractors from the within the Virgin Islands would be allowed to bid for the contracts under the CDB loan, some 50 contractors benefited from a workshop recently at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) which was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Communications and Works and the Caribbean Development Bank. The contractors were educated on the Virgin Islands Government's and CDB procurement guidelines for competitive bidding and procedures, "vulnerability in construction and preparing an effective tender document as these projects will go out to tender at various times," said Hon. Vanterpool.