News

WAF needs to re-look at contract provisions

February 15, 2018 4:41 am

The Water Authority of Fiji needs to re-look into its contract provisions in order to better maximize tax-payers money.

This is after the Office of the Attorney General today revealed the Authority has failed on two occasions to make the best of its contracts.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Chair Ashneel Sudhakar sort clarification on a payment of half a million dollars that WAF has to make to a secondary contractor.

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WAF hired two contractors Fletcher and Kreamer, Kreamer was hired to construct a water tank and however, it built the tank on a compromised foundation resulting in a relocation on the contractor’s cost.

The relocation meant the second contractor, Fletcher, started their project on a later day, hence Fletcher is now claiming for delay damages from WAF.

Sudhakar says the Authority should have included a clause to protect themselves.

“If Fletcher had a clause in their contract under which they are asking WAF for a payment for the delays, a similar clause should have existed in WAF’s contract with Kreamer, so that WAF could claim damages from Kreamer because it was they delay. WAF here is not responsible, it is not their problem. It is something that one contractor did which delayed the works of another contractor. So it really should be contractor A paying contractor B.”

Sudhakar says in another contract WAF failed to put damages claim with a secondary contractor.

WAF, General Manager Special Projects, Taitusi Vakadravuyaca says they are under negotiations with contractor, Fletcher over the payment of half a million dollars.