Small contractors can’t handle some projects, simply because they don’t have the financial clout.
Government Senator Jepter Ince told the Upper House yesterday that some projects were unsuitable for small contractors.
“We have taken the initiative to employ small contractors on projects that are suitable for small contractors,” he said.
“They do not have the financial capacity. They do not have the labour capacity. They do not have the capital capacity to undertake some of these large projects, and I would not advise this administration nor another one
to just go selecting small contractors to take on some of the massive projects that we have to undertake, especially when you are borrowing loans and those large loans are guaranteed by Government,” he said.
“There are some projects that suit small contractors and there are projects that have to be undertaken by large contractors. That is the reality if you are going to manage and manage capital assets efficiently.
“There has to be a separation, and when we fail to do separation and we fail to do what is necessary, we are going to end up with a Warrens building. There are horses for courses,” he said.
Ince said that from his experience, persons who did well and who would normally bring a project within budget and on time, did not make noise.
“Those persons sometimes who keep the most noise are the ones sometimes you have to question.”
On housing, Ince said Government was prepared to ensure there was a feasible and viable housing stock in Barbados.
“There are too many times that our housing stock is tested when persons are dislocated through fire,” he said.
“Housing is not just about finding a spot of land. It is a social issue that has to be dealt with and it has to be dealt with in a systematic way. It has to be dealt with in a planned format.”
