Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw on Monday clashed with prominent contractor Anderson Cherry over accusations that the Mia Mottley administration is bypassing smaller companies in sharing contracts under the Mill and Pave road repair programme.
But she left the door open for talks with the firms on ways to involve the contractors in the programme that has seen the rapid fix of several roads and highways, for the first time using a process to grind, recycle and repave the tarmac with fresh bitumen.
She bluntly dismissed the allegations as “foolishness” and “simply not accurate” in reaction to Cherry’s statements on the Voice of Barbados’ Down to Brass Tacks call-in programme on Monday, in which he accused the government of being unfair in awarding contracts under the multi-million dollar Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme.
Cherry, the owner of the Jose y Jose group of companies, said: “We, a group of small Black businessmen, have got together and purchased an asphalt plant in Barbados. In that asphalt plant, we have pavers, we got milling machines, we have every single thing to be a large player. We have more equipment than Infra and CO Williams.
“The Deputy Prime Minister said that they are 30 per cent into this milling and paving programme of $30 million, which represents $10 million. $10 million in 30 days between two contractors, that is $5 million a piece. If you go into Rayside yard now, you seeing all of my pavers, milling machines and rollers rotting down. We are begging and asking the government of Barbados, who we support, to please give the opportunity.”
Bradshaw shot back, challenging the notion that smaller businesses on the island are never considered for such projects. She emphasised that the time factor and ready access to materials, which Cherry had previously stated he was not at liberty to have at such short notice, were the most important factors in the project’s first phase.
“This programme was announced by the Prime Minister just short of five weeks ago. She indicated that she wanted contractors who would work very quickly to be able to not only supply the asphalt but also to be able to work 18-hour days. We would have reached out to two of the main contractors, C.O.W and Infra at the time because based on the history of the relationship with MTW, they would have been able to supply asphalt when we required it for our paving programme, they would have also been in a position because they are companies that are in the business of road construction on a regular basis, and they would have been able to mobilise very quickly without any mobilisation from the Ministry of Public Works to get the programme going.
“If Mr Cherry is honest with you, he would indicate that this ministry had reached out to him previously regarding the supply of asphalt, and he was not in a position to supply the asphalt. So that is one. Therefore, for this particular programme, if you cannot supply asphalt when the ministry requires it of you, it is clear that you are not going to be able to supply and to be actively part of the Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme.”
Cherry responded by saying that if he had been given the chance, especially considering how lucrative the contract was, he and other smaller contractors could have organised a way to help purchase the supplies needed for the job, such as bitumen for asphalt.
“If I had the opportunity, and [you] said, ‘Cherry, we starting a milling programme, we are going to give you $10 million out of the $30 million’, and if I wanted only $1 million, you don’t think a bank would lend me or I could look under my pillow and find it? Come on, Deputy Prime Minister, that is not fair.
“You are speaking not only to Anderson Cherry because it’s not about me. If we were able to galvanise over $10 million to book our equipment and an asphalt plant, you don’t think we could find money to buy bitumen?”
Bradshaw countered that Cherry has always requested an upfront part-payment or mobilisation for such work, which has never been the policy of any work done under the Ministry of Public Works.
“Mr Cherry’s concern has always been that he wanted mobilisation for the supply of asphalt. I can say to you that there is no contractor that can tell you in this country that the Ministry of Public Works pays them mobilisation for any asphalt that is acquired by them in our paving programme. Therefore, if the concern is that Mr Cherry wants to allege that we are somehow unfairing Black businesses in this country, it is absolute foolishness. If you are not in a position to be able to supply the asphalt and to be able to have a fully operational programme in terms of road work construction, how could we have considered you on this occasion for this type of Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme?”
She added that though the programme has been making news for the last few weeks, there are several other road projects that fall outside of the new initiative which Cherry has not expressed interest in applying for.
“Mr Cherry should also indicate whether he has applied for any of the other works on the Bonfire system – the system that the government uses for procurement – for any of the other roads that we have done. My recollection and my understanding, subject to correction, is that he has not done so, and there have also been opportunities to apply for other roads under the CAF [Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean] projects, prior to this Mill and Pave Programme.
“As it relates to the other contractors, I understand that the mention was made of Brathwaite’s Construction and I know for a fact that they have indicated to the ministry that they could not start to do any of the mill and pave or anything until after the start of the next financial year, which is in April,” Bradshaw insisted.
The transport minister declared that her office was prepared to collaborate with Cherry and the other small contractors to involve them in road construction in the coming weeks.
She said: “I am hopeful given the pace that which we have been moving with respect to this programme, that they too would be in a position to have their plant up and running to be able to take advantage of the works because as you saw, the Prime Minister has basically provided us through the Ministry of Finance with an additional $5 million.
“I am also hopeful that we can open up to other contractors because there are a few others who have also indicated to our office that at least three players in the market will be ready by the start of the next financial year. So again, there are other companies who understand what [the] Accelerated Mill and Pave [Programme] is, and who also understand that there are other opportunities for them to participate in road-building exercises within the Ministry of Transport and Works.
“To try to single this out to make this seem as though we are in some way unfairing a class of person is simply not accurate,” the deputy prime minister insisted.
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