News

Environmental bond will not be returned, unless damage is fixed

June 2, 2020 12:30 pm

The Environment Ministry confirms that it will not return the Environmental Bond paid by China Railway Group for a dredging project at the Sigatoka river-mouth, unless the damage caused is fixed.

The Environment Ministry will not return China Railway Group’s the Environmental Bond for dredging at the Sigatoka river-mouth.

China Railway must first remedy the damage caused by the dredging.

Permanent Secretary Joshua Wycliffe says they issued a stop work order late last year after a thorough assessment which indicated that the contractor had breached certain conditions in the agreement.

Article continues after advertisement

However, he states if the group cannot rehabilitate the area, the bond will be used by the Ministry for remediation work at the site.

“In terms of our safeguards we are still holding on to quiet a substantial amount of environmental bond that they provided us. We haven’t refunded it and we will not be refunding it. There’s also retention money, construction retention fund that’s available with us as well”.

The contractor – China Railway Group will be given a chance to prove their worth should they wish to have their bond returned.

“I will give them a certain period of time for them to clear it and show us an evidence that everything has been cleaned, cleared and removed then I will send in my Inspectors to go and inspect the place, and if only they are fully satisfied than we will start returning retention funds deducting any other costs that were involved”.

Meanwhile, several attempts to get comments from the China Railway Group has proved futile.