LEGISLATURE AWARDS RENOVATION CONTRACT TO FOREIGN COMPANY
By: LEGISLATIVE CORRESPONDENT
Capitol Hill-MONROVIA: Contrary to the promotion of Small Medium Enterprises and as well as Liberian Businesses, the Liberian Legislature has awarded US$ 1.3 million renovation contract to a Foreign International Company.
The company, Dalta Architecture Construction, won the contract to conduct renovation works on the Capitol building.
Arguing the Legislature’s action, House Chair on Rules, Order and Administration, Johnson Gwaikolo indicated that all four Liberian Companies who participated in the bidding process by the Public Procurement Concession Commission or PPCC did not meet the requirements for the contract.
“We went through the bidding process with the help of PPCC, we were directly involved and they worked with us every step of the way, we don’t want to step outside of the PPCC framework, we had three to four Liberian Companies that participated in the bid through elevation the most responsive one was Dalta Architecture Construction Company” Representative Johnson N. Gwaikolo said.
Rep. Gwaikolo said US$1.3M was appropriated in the 2021 special National budget to renovate the entire Capitol building which include the two old chambers, roofing of the building and water system, bathroom and lighting system including the purchase of two water tracks.
Rep. Gwaikolo made the statement recently when he appeared on the OK morning Rush. He said the work is expected to be completed March 2022, under the supervision of the both House’s Committee on Rules, Order and Administration.
Few months ago, the House of Representatives contracted a Liberian Company named Englo Group of Companies to paint the House side of the Capitol building but delay in settling the company’s payment something that resulted into the co-owner of the company Mr. Gus Win going at the Capitol building to protest.
After a sustained protest by Mr. Win which included laying down under the House Speaker Bhofal Chambers’ car and causing loud noise on the grounds of the Capitol, Rep Marvin Cole presented a check of twenty thousand United States Dollars as initial debt payment and promised to pay the balance.
This action, pundits believe, may have triggered the hiring of a foreign company for the work.
