public works

Coclé projects rebid

Some companies that received contracts to do road work under the Programa de Desarrollo Comunitario (Prodec) in Coclé have been let go because they were not qualified to do the job.

Coclé Governor Darío Fernández said that the termination of the contracts is likely to lead to delays in projects that were supposed to be finished in April.

The work was supposed to be done in the area of Olá. Roads leading to the communities of El Copé, El Palmar, El Potrero and Pagua were slated to be repaired.

Eliécer Becerra, a councilor from Olá, said that the national government had awarded the contracts directly to the companies involved, so local officials were not aware of any problems until the work started to lag far behind.

When it became clear that the project would not meet its April 1 deadline, the local government stepped in and cancelled the work.

The jobs will now be rebid, but it is unlikely that the project will be completed before the onset of the rainy season, when road construction becomes much more difficult.

Becerra said that only a few companies were unable to complete their contracts, and that other work in the area funded by Prodec is proceeding on schedule. But he added that, if they do not meet their deadlines, those contracts could be cancelled as well.