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Rev Thwaites peeved
Minister says $25-m cost overrun on school should not recur
BY GARFIELD MYERS Editor-at-large South/Central Bureau myersg@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, March 24, 2012
MALVERN, St Elizabeth — Education Minister Rev Ronnie Thwaites, irked by a $25-million cost overrun on the construction of a residential, rehabilitative school for disruptive boys, has told ministry staff that they must ensure there is no recurrence.
"If we look at the proportion of the national debt [caused by] overruns on contracts you would be shocked," Thwaites told journalists and Ministry of Education officials shortly after touring the school, located across the road from Munro College in the hills of Malvern on Wednesday afternoon. "The Ministry of Education going forward does not wish to contribute more to that...," a stern-faced Thwaites added.
Education Minister Rev Ronald Thwaites responds to questions from journalists at the school for disruptive boys in Malvern, St Elizabeth, on Wednesday. Looking on are Project Architect Sean Wright (left), MP Richard Parchment (second left) and acting permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Grace McLean. (Photo: Gregory Bennett)
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Now set to be opened in September after already missing at least two previous construction deadlines, the school which will accommodate 50 boys is now slated to cost $76 million, up from $51 million when the former education minister, Andrew Holness visited last August.
Project architect, Sean Wright sought to explain that the overrun had arisen because the construction involved "retrofitting" of existing buildings. Building crews had met unexpected and serious problems which led to the overruns, he said.
But Thwaites, who described the situation as "most regrettable", insisted that there was need for greater contingency planning. "We have to learn to execute contracts on the basis of what we budgeted for and within time and we must learn to plan in ways that takes into account any likely contingencies and, therefore, going forward it will be necessary for the Ministry of Education to be very, very rigorous in ensuring that we do not run over," the education minister said.
Wright subsequently explained to journalists that the buildings which were bought by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) a few years ago to be developed as a football academy were found to have problems with the sewerage system and electrical wiring.
"We did anticipate glitches but (because of the many problems) the building project played itself out to be larger than we had originally thought," Wright said.
The JFF abandoned the project for the construction of a football academy at the site and sold the sloping, three-acre property with a number of unfinished buildings to the Government for $30 million in 2010. The site was at one time a private development known as Munro Villas.
Minister says $25-m cost overrun on school should not recur
BY GARFIELD MYERS Editor-at-large South/Central Bureau myersg@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, March 24, 2012
MALVERN, St Elizabeth — Education Minister Rev Ronnie Thwaites, irked by a $25-million cost overrun on the construction of a residential, rehabilitative school for disruptive boys, has told ministry staff that they must ensure there is no recurrence.
"If we look at the proportion of the national debt [caused by] overruns on contracts you would be shocked," Thwaites told journalists and Ministry of Education officials shortly after touring the school, located across the road from Munro College in the hills of Malvern on Wednesday afternoon. "The Ministry of Education going forward does not wish to contribute more to that...," a stern-faced Thwaites added.
Education Minister Rev Ronald Thwaites responds to questions from journalists at the school for disruptive boys in Malvern, St Elizabeth, on Wednesday. Looking on are Project Architect Sean Wright (left), MP Richard Parchment (second left) and acting permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Grace McLean. (Photo: Gregory Bennett) 1/1 Now set to be opened in September after already missing at least two previous construction deadlines, the school which will accommodate 50 boys is now slated to cost $76 million, up from $51 million when the former education minister, Andrew Holness visited last August.
Project architect, Sean Wright sought to explain that the overrun had arisen because the construction involved "retrofitting" of existing buildings. Building crews had met unexpected and serious problems which led to the overruns, he said.
But Thwaites, who described the situation as "most regrettable", insisted that there was need for greater contingency planning. "We have to learn to execute contracts on the basis of what we budgeted for and within time and we must learn to plan in ways that takes into account any likely contingencies and, therefore, going forward it will be necessary for the Ministry of Education to be very, very rigorous in ensuring that we do not run over," the education minister said.
Wright subsequently explained to journalists that the buildings which were bought by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) a few years ago to be developed as a football academy were found to have problems with the sewerage system and electrical wiring.
"We did anticipate glitches but (because of the many problems) the building project played itself out to be larger than we had originally thought," Wright said.
The JFF abandoned the project for the construction of a football academy at the site and sold the sloping, three-acre property with a number of unfinished buildings to the Government for $30 million in 2010. The site was at one time a private development known as Munro Villas.
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