Gov’t forced to scrap ‘badly flawed’ contract for embassy in Brazil

Despite a flawed contract signed by the previous APNU+AFC administration, the People’s Progressive Party Civic government at the start of 2022 had re-committed to completing the construction of the US$4.3 million Embassy in Brazil.

But with $17.3 million more, an ambitious timeline to complete the facility by July this year was not met.

In an invited comment, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd told the News Room that the government was forced to scrap the entire contract because of mounting inconsistencies.

A team from the Ministry visited Brazil recently and during that visit, the contract was brought to an end, Todd said.

“We are going to revisit the entire process all over again. The contract signed by the previous government was fundamentally flawed. It could not satisfy the outcome stated in the contract,” Todd said.

The Foreign Minister noted that the government spent the last few months grappling with the technical and legal issues flowing therefrom but welcomed the mutual agreement with the contractor to bring the contract to an end.

“We still have to take more monies from government coffers to have the embassy completed. It was widely ambitious the undertaking the previous government embarked on. Now we want to ensure that the monies are well spent and we will refashion the project to get the best,” Todd added.

Previously, the Foreign Minister said the issues were directly related to the contract and the design submitted.
He said the delay in completing the physician structure for the embassy has not hampered cooperation efforts between the two neighbours.

Guyana and Brazil are cooperating on several fronts with talks ongoing and agreements signed to support the regional efforts toward energy and food security.

There are standing bilateral treaties on civil and criminal matters, health and business exchanges, particularly in oil and gas.

Five years have passed since the sod was turned to mark the construction of a permanent building for the Guyana Embassy in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.

At the time of the sod turning in 2017 and over the last five years, little details were revealed on the project, but the News Room was able to confirm that the final cost for construction was set at US$4.3 million.

Started by the previous APNU+AFC administration, the PPP/C government had allocated some $17.3 million in the 2022 budget to see the project to finality.

The previous government had only released information on the sod turning which was done by former Vice-President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.

The contract for construction was done through a partnership between a local firm and another construction firm in Brazil.