The Belle Vue Pump Station, which cost 865 million dollars, is currently under construction and is expected to be finished by June 2026. Antonio Dey reports.
Nearly two years have passed since the contentious awarding of the $865 million Belle Vue Pump Station contract to Tepui Group Inc.
Now, under a new arrangement, local engineering firm Gaico Engineering has assumed responsibility for completing the project as a subcontractor, while adhering to all stipulations of the original contract.
Sources confirm that although Tepui Group Inc. received an advance payment of $182 million—despite completing only 10 per cent of the project—Gaico will now receive direct payments from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) as work progresses.
According to Gaico’s Chief Executive Officer, Khishan Singh, in a WhatsApp message, the pump station is on track to be completed by June 2026.
Critics, however, continue to raise concerns. They argue that the contract should not have been awarded to Mikhail Rodrigues—widely known as the “Guyanese Critic”—who has no prior experience in executing projects of this nature.
The Auditor General’s 2023 report, which was presented to Parliament last year, highlighted key issues with the contract. It noted that while the agreement was signed on September 22, 2023, an addendum was added one day earlier to increase the advance payment from 15% to 30%, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
