Answers To Questions Asked By The Member For The First District To The Minister For Communications And Works

Statement

Ministry of Communications and Works
Public Works Department
House of Assembly
Topics: 
Public Works, The Public Service
Release Date:
Tuesday, 15 January 2019 - 4:25pm

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE
MEMBER FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT TO THE MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKS
AT THE SIXTH SITTING OF THE
FOURTH SESSION OF THE THIRD
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

TUESDAY, 15TH JANUARY, 2019

The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works the following questions:

Question 1

Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please state the capital costs and the amount paid for any asphalt plant equipment and for the road pavement and heavy equipment ordered for usage by the Public Works Department between 2012 and 2019 and further

i)          Disclose whether or not the equipment ordered and paid for is operational or has been replaced?

ii)         The name of the local agent or company through which the equipment was purchased or contracted?

iii)        State if the tender process was used at each time and if not state the method used to select the local company from whom the mentioned equipment was purchased?

Answer 1

Madam Speaker, in 2014, the Government of the Virgin Islands incurred a capital cost of Nine Hundred, Thirty-Three Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($933,950.00) for the purchase of an Asphalt Distributor Truck, an Asphalt Distributor Trailer, an Asphalt Paver, a ten (10) ton Roller, 1 Motor Grader, 1 Cold Milling Machine, 1 Pneumatic Roller, and 1 sixty (60) ton Asphalt Mixing Plant.

Madam Speaker, in April of 2018, the Public Works Department, through Her Majesty’s Government, acquired equipment: 2 Ford F750 - Dump Trucks,  3 Case 5800 Series Backhoes and 2 Mack GU813E 20yd Dump Trucks.

  1. Madam Speaker, with the exception of the 60 ton Asphalt Mixing Plant, which was destroyed by the floods of August 2017, all other pieces of equipment remain part of the Public Works Department inventory. It is my understanding that the equipment is brought into use as the need arises.
  1. Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Works purchased the equipment directly from Wuhan Kudat Industries and Trade, located in China.
  1. Madam Speaker, the equipment was purchased in line with the Public Finance Management Regulations Part 27, Procurement of Stores and Services - Section 170 – Paragraph 2. As previously stated, the equipment was purchased directly by the Ministry and as such, there was no local agent involved.