President of the Dominica Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica (BCAD), Anthony Leblanc, has stated that the association has spent well over a quarter of a million dollars, in a court case against the government of Dominica in the West Bridge matter.
The Joint Consultative Committee on the Construction Sector (JCCCS), a local construction fraternity which BCAD is a member, had raised concerns over the manner in which the project was given to a Barbados-based company to construct the bridge.
Concerns were raised that the contract was not tendered in line with the Public Procurement and Contract Administration Act.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday March 24th, Leblanc said that the Association believes that the Dominican people “should not be robbed of opportunities.”
“We believe that the government should follow an Act of parliament. The government is not above the law. The government should adhere to the laws of the country,” he said.
He added that the association will spend as much money as it takes to ensure that the government tends to the needs of the sector and in particular local contractors.
“We knew it was going to cost us a lot, and probably, just probably, the government thought that it was too much for us to bear, but God will help us and we will do it,” he affirmed.
Leblanc said that the Association owes nothing to anyone on this matter, and even if they have spent over a quarter million dollars, “the matter is not over yet.”
“As I said, it’s a serious matter and the government should not be bigger than its citizens,” he remarked.
No cost is too high to ensure justice is done, even with our lives we must pay at times. how do you all think you all got emancipation you spineless gutless minions??? are you black people even worth the sacrifice?? are you all even people?? DNO this is a very dead serious question I am asking the reading public who criticize the BCAD’s efforts. Are we worth of anything?? are we worth anything?? are we grown children that others have to act and speak for us?? are we deaf, dumb, blind??? if we are, do we HATE the world so much that we wish everyone else was as DISABLED as us??? Not even those with actual disabilities are as INCAPABLE as us?? is that what is it that you grown people are saying? MANY!!!! of whom I was born after!!! many who are OLDER than me!!! Is this what you all have been doing ? Is this you all legacy?? is it this that you are now forcing us to uphold as OUR legacy?? …
“We knew it was going to cost us a lot, and probably, just probably, the government thought that it was too much for us to bear, but God will help us and we will do it,” he affirmed.
Mr. Leblanc Sir, do you not know that God appoints the Government of a Nation, by the votes of the people, for whatever reasons He does so? If you did, I am sure that you would think twice before you speak those words: GOD WILL HELP US; because what you are doing is fighting against His own plan, initiated by the Government of Dominica–for whatever reason He did so.
To claim that you have already spent $250 000 000, for law assistance against a project that would only give you $18 000 000, proves that you did not need that money at all, especially that you would not have been able to do the work that efficiently needed–that may be what God saw about you; the reason why He prompted the Government to give the project to another contractor, for the people’s comfort.
It sounds more like you are telling the people that you have already failed, and you are letting it go from here; for to spend 250 million dollars, and is counting, in Law payments, for the sake of not receiving an 18 million dollar contract, is a whole heap of stupidity, in my opinion.
I hope that you have realized your mistake; because you cannot go anywhere further with a spiteful attitude–especially if you are counting on God to help you–for how can He help you, when you are fighting against His plan? Good Lord!
So God appointed people like Hitler, Stalin, Mugabe, and Kim Jong-un? The last I checked from the Holy Book, God’s track record was firmly in the lane of integrity and sound leadership. Even when leaders went wrong later down in their tenure in office, God made sure to duly inform them that they were not following the directed path. Please remember to do your research – it is only a google search away, or, if you prefer, a book away (the most published book in the last half century at that).
Dominicans…. My brothers and my sisters. What’s wrong with us? Have we lost our souls? Have we lost our morale and social compass? Have we been so blinded by hate and division that we can’t see what is staring us in the face? Have we lost our conscience? Hv we become a people with no conscience? How can we allow a govt to destroy us, blindside us and then feed us the crumbs from their table? Come on my people… We hv been fooled enough…. Wake up and be politically educated!!!!
What has happened to the two bridges and the west coast road built by the china , are they still standing . Why the Chinese now ha. to spend millions of dollars on a new west coast so called E O LeBlanc. High Way. The bridge and road is not even five years old and we have to spend more money to fix than to build. Labourites the well will dry one day and many of all you will still be blaming UWP for the fault of this incompetent , Corrupt and Dishonest Government. The Building Association is there to stay to fight for our sons and daughters who spend all their money to go and study and need a job to feed their selves and not come back home begging or leave to go overseas to work and the brain drain continues .
Some people are to greedy, your own people that’s the ones who will destroy you.
Mr. Leblanc, over and over again after tropical storm Erika, there were and still are projects available to which you could not submit a proposal because your firm lack the capacity to undertake. The government was sending out call all the time and you could not undertake a lot of projects which indicated that your hands were filled. How on earth would you undertake building the bridge? Besides you and the members need to do your research instead of spending so much financial resources on a case that you are definitely going to lose. First of all this is a world bank project and if you had appraised yourself and the association you would have recognized that projects such as these must be advertised regionally and sometimes internationally. Did you tender for this project? if so what were your short coming? Financial resources, machinery and equipment or the human resource capacity? Remember that your hands were full after Erika, so should the bridge construction project wait?
Your comment suggests you have no knowledge of the capacity of BCAD members. Why are you under the impression that plant, material or even specialist knowledge are impossible for local firms to acquire? The firms that come here to work hire a myriad of nationalities on these projects… the only difference is that the profits generated from the projects end up in the country in which these firms are registered. Mr. Leblanc (and BCAD as a whole) are fully aware of the international bidding process… bidding is what these firms do day in day out. I just shake my head at the idiocy of assuming that our companies would not be fully aware of the issues you raise (a common flaw in these message boards)… does that really make sense to you?
As the law stands BCAD has a case and a genuine grievance if the law which is designed to level the playing field is not, in their opinion, being followed. It is their job to speak up for their members.. and their right in a democracy.
Dominicans think so small i am saying in response to some of the comments. If these builders and contractors do not fight now what will happen to the many children who are going away to study. That is why e re so behind. Continue to fight. We should have a program on slavery probably the younger generation will understand they did not just get to where they are someone fought for your progress.
They should have spent five millions Dominicans get good jobs all over the world but anytime a foreiner gets a job in DA all hell breaks loose.
When your govt has no confidence in its own people, that govt is generally useless
Well, it’s high time local construction companies, workers included, start bucking up. Stop wasting time on people project.
People are asking why is it so hard to trust PM Skerrit, and I ask them why is it so hard to keep promise.
Time will tell, time will always tell!!!
Folks you guys are dealing with a Government of no law, no constitution.
Look how quickly NSG worked, the project is near completion. I don’t believe locals were robbed of that opportunity, consider us saved from ourselves.
If i was the contractor i would not allow these politicians on my site dressed as they are. The woman with high heels on corrugated metal. smh. None of them have PPE
Well waste all the money you have paying lawyer, and for what? Look the bridge finish already oui!
To give preference to a foreign business entity and to deny bona fide Dominican contractors a chance to ply their trade is wrong and unconscionable. Foreign businesses operating in Dominica ‘extradite’ most of their profits while the money earned by local contractors circulates within Dominica to boost the local economy. Only an uncaring and a renegade government would treat their own with such utter contempt. Imagine the BCAD has to spend such a colossal sum of money to try to get the government to do the right thing. Unconscionable! Lets all galvanized our support behind the local contractors to stop this anomaly.
How many contracts have you gotten from govt after the bridge fiasco? Was it fair and were you deserving of it?
Well personally If ind if it was a Dominican company, the bridge would not be at this stage so I have no qualms about it
So you are saying our people basically worthless? Or just the majority of people that voted and support these people worthless and can expect that sort of treatment
No our people are not worthless. Their problem is they need to buck up!! Stop wasting time on jobs and doing sub-standard work. When the bridge is finished we don’t want to spend another million dollars for repair works in ten years. That bridge needs to stand for at least the next 30-40 years.
Keep Pushing
I agree with you! the only thing is that Mr. Tonge, as a Minister should not have been the one to say so, but it is perfectly true.
It’s not that they do not have the skills, but half the time these contractors charge exhorbitant sums to do projects that people borrowed money through their teeth to execute and they pass on the work to lower paid employees with poor supervision while they secure another contract on another project, so people keep getting a raw deal.
If anyone can find a Dominican who has a positive story about a local contractor who finished a job within budget and on time I’ll publish it through all available media complete with photos!
Face the facts! Look at how the Chinese work? rain, shine, thunder lightening, morning, night, noon they are at it. Dominicans forever on sick leave at the slightest excuse, because slavery is abolished and they not making anybody rich so they resent even the hand that’s feeding them! Got to be…
To continue….
We’ve got to be honest. If the government breached a procedure by all means take them to court but let us not fool ourselves, Dominicans are getting a raw deal from local contractors.
Every little “cobbler” wants to charge fees like trained engineers; behave as if they are doing you a favour to turn up on your project and the latest strategy is to charge you a fee that they think you can pay, not one commensurate with the value of the work. No matter the complexity of the job it is the same daily fee so you have to pay the same fee whether you are building a store room or a palace!
Love you guys and always support local but you all have to also get your act together!
Sorry, but if we keep accepting this state of affairs nothing is going to change.
The association is correc and looking out for th people of the country. And they shoul be commended.
Did they bite off more than they could chew?
Good . Pay for your fastnest. And if you please, the same Government you hate so bad still have guts to give you a job at Bellveue Chopin. The bridge finishing before time. If you had the job only the fence that WOULD BE UP shame on you boy.
Fool when a contractor legitimately bids on a job and wins the bid the owner is legally obligated to filliw thru unless the owner has legitimate reasons to not award thr contract to the wining bid.
Stio being politician monkeys.
Hi miss Judith Ann Rogers,
I mean, U have the mitigated gull to tell UR. fellow men shame on them by U supporting a foreign company over UR. fellowmen, why is Dominica the DOOR MAT of the Caribbean, and I am not referring to the mask of land floating in the mist of the OCEAN, it’s they, me, U and us I am referring to, why are we supporting such mast corruption in this country and U seating on UR. LOUREL and saying nothing about it? It’s not their Damn business, GO TO HELL, GO TO HELL, GO TOELL, that is all U love to hear but it will soon end, for u and those who think like U “the Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the Evil and the Good Proverbs 15:3”
All i hear in my sleep is, “TO HELL WITH THE CONSTITUTION.” It would be very disgraceful for a local citizen to utter such statement; Let alone the “AM” of Dominica. But like the walls of Jericho, the labor party is coming down.
I smell a rat
Probably u all had a good reputation that would not have happened. Things are poorly built, cement, tools and other material are stolen at tax payers expense. And last but not list, in a country that’s affected by storms you need to know how to build this structures to avoid being washed away or damaged, how to dig in to a cliff so it won’t come down on the road from a landslide, how to prevent a road from going down into a precipice from underneath being washed away etc
These infrastructures cost millions of dollars. We can’t afford to replace them every 5 years.
The bridge almost finish and all you still there crying. Stupes in Dominica man