The $865 million Belle Vue pump station project, long mired in controversy, is now being steered by Gaico Engineering under a subcontracting arrangement, though the original contract remains unchanged.
The project was initially awarded in 2022 to Tepui Group Inc., a firm with no prior experience in major civil works and headed by Mikhail Rodrigues, better known as “The Guyanese Critic.”
Despite having already pocketed $182 million in mobilisation funds, Tepui had completed just 10 per cent of the work by last year’s count.
According to Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth, Gaico’s involvement comes under the same contract framework, with payments still funneled through the authority and all original deadlines and penalties in place.
Opposition figures have been vocal in their criticism of the Tepui award. Earlier this year, Opposition Parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul visited the project site and labelled progress “stagnant,” urging the full recovery of public funds and tighter vetting for future contractors.
These concerns were later echoed by the Auditor General’s 2024 report, which flagged minimal progress and several bid qualification breaches, including a lack of relevant experience and financial documentation.
