Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has expressed concerns regarding the awarding of an $8.6 million contract to Pacific Building Solutions for the construction of a new terminal at Labasa Airport. Chaudhry claims this amount is approximately $3 million higher than the bids from other reputable contractors.
He stated that the quotes provided by competing bidders were all below $6 million, highlighting that the lowest bid was $5.2 million, with a project duration of 54 weeks, compared to the 21 months proposed by Pacific Building Solutions.
Chaudhry questioned the basis on which the contract was awarded to Pacific Building Solutions, given that all bidders operated under the same project plan. He noted that one of the unsuccessful bidders had reached out to the Airport Fiji Limited (AFL) for clarification on the decision but received no written response.
He emphasized that AFL, being a state-owned enterprise, is expected to maintain transparency and accountability in its dealings. If private firms can disclose their bidding processes, it follows that AFL should do the same as it is accountable to taxpayers.
The project involves building a temporary terminal at Labasa’s Waiqele Airport while the existing terminal is dismantled and a new one is constructed with distinct areas for departures and arrivals. According to Chaudhry, construction of the temporary terminal was scheduled to commence in the first week of October 2024 and be completed by January 2025.
Chaudhry raised concerns regarding the apparent lack of construction activity at Labasa Airport as of mid-October. He questioned the reasons behind the delay, noting that work on the new terminal, set to begin in January 2025, is also at risk of further delays if the temporary terminal is not completed on schedule.
He recalled that Pacific Building Solutions was previously a partner in the modernization of Nadi Airport in 2013, a project that faced significant cost overruns and delays. Chaudhry called for the Prime Minister’s Office to investigate the matter and hold AFL accountable for its actions.