The Editor, Sir:

Ever since the Public Works Department (PWD) was replaced by the National Works Agency (NWA) some years ago, the new entity has been nothing but a millstone around the necks of taxpayers. It forever refuses to take the cheaper route of maintaining the infrastructure. Instead, it opts to dig money out of taxpayers' pockets and increase the national debt by having to rebuild the damage caused by neglect. Of course, when the huge contracts are given out, what follows are the perennial 'cost overruns', which taxpayers must hug up, but for which we can never get a proper explanation.

For example, despite numerous calls last year to the NWA about the deterioration of the floor of the section of the Sandy Gully that runs between Constant Spring Road and Upper Waterloo Road, nothing was done, so naturally Gustav created, mayhem.

Damage done because of neglect

The result is that the country has been forced by the same NWA and Ministry of Works, which had no money to do minor repairs, to fork out millions of dollars more to repair the damage done because of neglect.

The repairs in this section started in the beginning of February this year and we are told they would complete the small project by the end of the month. The drought conditions made the timetable feasible, but that was assuming that they would get sub-contractors who have a track record of performance - for example - with the ability to start one section, finish it and move to the next!

Instead, what they have done is to dig up the entire stretch and leave it untouched for weeks at a time. Now, the project seems to have been abandoned mid-stream and the gully is in the worst state I have ever seen it in my 27 years of living in the area. With the water being unable to run freely, stagnant water is being accumulated, leading to an infestation of mosquitos and rats.

My questions

The questions I would like to ask the minister of transport and works are:

1) How does the NWA choose sub-contractors? Is it on the basis of their ability to perform, or what they can do for politicians?

2) Does the NWA not put performance clauses in its contracts, or are such ideas alien to that agency?

3) Does the ministry have a timetable to change course and make the NWA into an effective agency instead of a drain on the beleaguered taxpayer? If yes, why is there no move to make it into a useful entity that maintains the infrastructure and effectively monitors the contracts that its, so freely awards?

4) How much 'cost overruns' have taxpayers so far accumulated on the repairs of the Sandy Gully?

I am, etc.,

JOAN WILLIAMS

greatestj@hotmail.com

Kingston 10