K&M Contract Controversy Puts Wagner Administration on the Defensive

A reported roadworks contract is putting City Hall’s spending decisions under the microscope. Questions are being raised about whether Mayor Bernard Wagner’s administration invited competitive bids before selecting K&M Construction Limited. Wagner insists the council followed its established approach and says the company has the resources and expertise to deliver. But the controversy is renewing the wider debate over transparency in the awarding of public contracts.

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Those are two wonderful projects, the people in that area, in Penn Road and Faber’s Road will enjoy finally that they have concrete road, both Penn Road and Faber’s Road. At City Hall we have many vendors and it is important to note that many of those vendors we engage are done so in a differed payment structure, where they front load many of the funding to drive the development or concreting to the streets. So while you may say, it did not went out to tender, the mere fact that these contractors we engage have to have the financial capacity, the technical capacity for us to engage. We will not send out a tender where we are looking for vendors who have that front load of money to drive those projects ahead. Most of the time we are paying on an incremental basis.”

 

Paul Lopez

“So is that to say that this vendor does have the capacity and you all did your homework.”

 

Bernard Wagner

“Yes, most definitely, she has been doing business with us for many years, not only this PUP administration, but with previous administration.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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