‘THIS SERIOUS’
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
Tuesday, December 16 2014
A SPECIAL investigation by the Office of the Auditor General has found escalating costs to the tune of $557 million in relation to three highly-touted national sporting facilities currently being managed by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt).
Minister of Sport Dr Rupert Griffith yesterday described the findings of the special audit as “serious” and “important” as he convened the first of a series of meetings with ministry and company officials on the matter.
Sunday Newsday reported on the findings of the special audit, which was tabled in the Senate last Tuesday.
The Auditor General found hundreds of millions being paid for sporting facilities which are still incomplete; escalating costs; unjustified expenses for high-capital projects; wasted millions on recreation grounds; duplication and a history of expensive litigation relating to staff.
In relation to costs, the Auditor General’s special report examined three national facilities in cycling, swimming and tennis. The cost for these facilities moved from $120 million in 2007 to $677 million in 2013.
The Report states, “In October 2007, more than six and a half years ago, initial approval was granted for the development and construction of three national facilities in cycling, swimming and tennis to be located in Mucurapo, Mount Hope and Tacarigua respectively. These facilities had a total estimated cost of $120 million with an expected two-year completion date in 2009. This period elapsed and construction work on the facilities did not commence.”
The Report noted that in May 2013, more than six and a half years later, another approval was granted for the same facilities at a total estimated cost in excess of $677 million, an increase of $557 million, equivalent to 464 percent more than the 2007 estimated cost.
“The initial locations of the cycling and swimming centres were changed to Couva,” the Report, dated November 28, 2014, states. “At the time of this Report, construction is underway in Couva, although the land acquisition aspect has not been finalised. Construction works on all three facilities are on-going with an expected completion date of May 2015.”
The Report further states, “Sportt’s delay in the implementation of construction projects and changes in locations of projects resulted in increased estimated costs.”
The cost escalations are likely to evoke comparisons with other controversial sporting projects such as the ill-fated Brian Lara Stadium at Tarouba which has moved from $277 million to in excess of $1.1 billion. The aquatic centre, like the Tarouba facility, is also due to be named after one of the nation’s outstanding sportsmen, swimmer George Bovell III.
SCG (International) Caribbean has been identified as the main contractor at work on the velodrome and aquatic centres, though a local sub-contractor, Universal Projects Limited, has also been associated with them.
The Report also said the auditors were unable to find a clear “rationale” for these “high expenditure” projects based on their review.
“The Ministry of Sport, in justifying the development and construction of the three national facilities, highlights the need to develop, on an incremental scale, potential athletes for competitions at the national and international levels. Neither the Ministry of Sport nor Sportt was able to provide a ‘Sport for All’ rationale for selecting high expenditure national facility projects in cycling, swimming and tennis,” the Report states. “Measures are not in place to collect or analyse data related to membership and participation from the national sporting organisations for each of these three and other disciplines. Additionally, Sportt does not have performance indicators to measure potential growth in these sporting disciplines to inform the construction of these projects.”
Contacted yesterday, Griffith said the ministry was in the process of reviewing the findings.
“The report is a serious report one which we need to take note of,” the minister told Newsday. “Certain recommendations that were made we are going to consider them. Another meeting is planned to allow us to drill down further into the report.”
Griffith said the ministry began a process of reviewing the report since it was tabled in the Senate.
“We began reviewing the report since last week,” Griffith said. “We have met today – this morning (yesterday)– over it. Most of the activity described in the report relates to the pre-2010 period. The Auditor General’s Report is an important report by any standards. There are about 15 or 16 recommendations in it that the ministry and the Sport company will take on board. I have met with department heads and the permanent secretary as well as officials of Sportt.”
At a topping-off ceremony for the cycling facility on May 26, then Sport Minister Anil Roberts remarked, “it is the beginning of the dawn of a new era for Trinidad and Tobago where sport is now an industry. We shall create job opportunities and a sustainable future for our citizens. Sport tourism is around the corner and these facilities will be the benchmark.”
The Auditor General also found that a total of $411 million was spent from 2009 to 2013 on sporting facilities meant to provide “sport for all”, but that purported goal has not been achieved. The auditors also said Sportt is now managing $2.3 billion in projects, but has no sound means of measuring progress on its objectives, gaps in records and has committed reporting breaches.
The Report also examines the development and construction of three multi-purpose facilities planned. It notes that in April 2005, approval was granted for the development and construction of three multi-purpose facilities at a total cost of $51 million.
“Almost six years later, Sportt had failed to commence work on these facilities,” the Report states. In March 2011, another approval was given for Sportt to undertake work on the same facilities as an increased estimated cost of $165 million, an increase of $114 million, equivalent to 223.5 percent of the 2005 estimated cost.
The initial approved locations for the facilities were changed from the north and east regions (Arima, Diego Martin and Sangre Grande) to the Central and South regions (Charlieville, Couva and Fyzabad). At the same time, “contrary to approved changed locations, Sportt has spent $18.6 million to develop multi-purpose facilities instead in Aranjuez, Jerningham Junction and Sangre Grande.” Work is yet to commence on the approved locations.
A similar story emerged from the review of regional recreation grounds and the programme to upgrade local corporation grounds. A total of $103 million was spent by September 2013. Of 104 local corporation grounds planned, 42 were completed at a cost of $68 million, while no regional recreation grounds have been completed.
