By Walter Alibey
Thursday, November 5 2009
AFTER weeks of denials, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs yesterday admitted that the controversial flag at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain had indeed cost taxpayers approximately $2 million.
Sports Minister Gary Hunt has been under intense public criticism following reports the flag cost Government $2 million and he has been at pains since then to justify the expenditure without confirming the sum.
And Hunt left it to Kenneth Charles, chairman of the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT), to disclose and give details of the cost rather than do so himself during a press conference at the office of SPORTT, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain.
Charles, reading from a prepared text, told the media that Fire One Fire Works, the contractor, who has erected a similar flag at their premises in Macoya, had been given the tender to design and construct the flag because of their competitive price, experience with a similar installation as well as the support of their supplier in the United States.
Fire One Fire Works bettered bids by two other companies— Phabha Sports of the United States and Excellent Technologies of TT.
Charles then gave the following details:
* The flag, which is made from nylon and measures 60 x 36 feet, cost $18,112.15, VAT inclusive;
* Foundation and installation works— $940,000;
* Design and supply of monster flag pole— $932,400
* Three additional flags— $54, 336.
“This totals approximately two million TT dollars,” Charles said, before making a comparison of the cost of a similar sized national flag of Jordan, a Middle Eastern country.
Full Article : newsday.co.tt
WHAT IS THE FUSS?
Sport Minister defends $2m flag…
N the face of apparent unrelenting condemnation over the $2 million cost of the ‘legacy’ flag hoisted in the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Sports Minister Gary Hunt yesterday dismissed reports that the flag was having the opposite effect of what it was meant to achieve – which is national pride.
‘I disagree. You just have to go on Facebook and you would see some of the arguments and support that is there. It has huge support online,’ he said.
Told that there were some adverse comment in the media, Hunt replied: ‘I haven’t heard any. From my walkabouts, I have heard no such comments… I have just come from the walk from Hutton Road, Cascade, in my constituency and I have had no such comments.’
He was speaking at a news conference at the Sport Company, at which the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt) confirmed that the erection of the controversial flag cost $2 million.
Full Article : trinidadexpress.com
It’s official—$2m for flag
It’s official. The 60 feet by 36 feet national flag fluttering at the Hasely Crawford Stadium cost $2 million. In response to recent criticism from the media and the public on the actual cost of the flag, Minister of Sport Gary Hunt and chairman of Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt) Kenneth Charles have confirmed that total price of the flag is $2 million and the job was contracted to Fireone Fireworks.
Full Article : guardian.co.tt
Hunt on Facebook: It’s $15,800
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog’s URL for this article:
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=1828
Its all a big show off for Manning. If I was Dookeran, Ramdahar, Ramesh and Jack, when these visitors arrive, I would take them on a tour all over the country and let them see how our people are suffering.
I think this is a total waste of our money. Some people in this country are suffering for food, beds in the hospitals, roads and water but this DOTISH man we have as our PM is allowing our money to be wasted.
really what we should be asking is to see the other companies bids.Then we need to understand how much similar poles costs and the installiation price of such a pole should show the break down and maybe lets see if it can be justified.
But I agree wiyh you ,we lack beds in a hospital amongst other basic important things.
We must also understant that it has always been the PNM motor to waste and squander tax-payers money and to ass with the population.That’s how it will remain….past ,present and future.
GOD forgive the backwardness of my people.
Ok, it is official… The $2m. Flag.. Now for the nitty gritty…
I have an Idea who is Mr. Ghanny of Fireone Fireworks is (no surprise there). But who is Lorraine Abraham, a pic would be nice. Let’s see what $2m. worth of feline is to some PNM fool.
COP knocks $2M flag, ‘Manday constitution’
COP leader Winston Dookeran yesterday said the episode over the $2 million flag at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain shows the Government has a wrong sense of priorities which include their own aggrandisement. He was addressing a COP media conference yesterday at the Hotel Normandie, St Ann’s.
Dollars in the wind
TWO million dollars seems to be an extraordinary price to pay for a flag and its accessories. The admission of this price-tag for the flag, flag-pole and base, raises many questions.
Insensitive extravagance by Govt
Obviously understanding that it requires much more to justify the purchase and erection of a flag for $2 million, Sports Minister Gary Hunt is now engaged in dissembling, that is seeking to hide the reality of the cost by diversionary tactics.
What they’re basically saying is to us is this given breakdown :
[I,m no pro….but i have a little knowledge of construction costs, bearing in mind, this is from details taken from the daily news papers]
All figures are generous approximates.
Excavate a hole 20ft x 20ft x 15ft deep and remove fill – $70,000.00
Granular backfill [lets say about 2ft worth x hole dimensions] – $18,000.00
Given the hole dimensions lets say it takes 170 cubic meters of high strength readymixed concrete –
$260,000.00
Two tonnes of high tensile steel –
$14,000.00
Labour to work two tonnes of steel and 170 cubic meters of concrete [ 3 days to work two tonnes of steel and lets say ideally one day to pour concrete]…lets be generous and give them – $60,000.00
Flag pole – [supply, construct and erect] – $200,000.00
Flag – $20,000.00
……………………………..So basically this project if done locally….and everyone involved got paid really, really, really well….would have cost in the vicinity of $500,000.00.
Also let assume the ‘boss man’ wanted to make a nice fat profit…lets give him $200,000.00 [come on its only a flagpole]
That brings us to about $700,000.00
which means we all helped pay someone 1.3 million dollars to think this up !! lol….only in Trinidad !
‘Corruption draped in $2m flag’
National shame. This was how deputy political leader of the Congress of the People (COP) Prakash Ramadhar described Sport Minister Gary Hunt’s defence of the $2 million giant national flag at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
Symbol of waste and corruption
Government’s $2 million flag at the Hasely Crawford Stadium should be flown at half-mast as it is a symbol of waste and corruption, UNC MP Roodal Moonilal said yesterday.
It is a well established fact that whenever goods and services are to be provided to the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, most suppliers inflate the prices. Some argue that the additional cost compensates for the inordinate length of time it takes to be paid. Others bid a price to get the contract and invariably there are ‘unexpected’ variations to be compensated for.
There is some misleading reporting in this whole scenario–the cost of the entire project: flags, flagpole, engineering to erect, etc–is reported as the stadium flag costing 2 million dollars.
The argument that there is poverty and need around us is a very old one. When the alabaster box was opened to salve the head of Jesus, the Bible points out that with ‘indignation’ the disciples called it a waste, and that it should have been sold for much and the money given to the poor. A part of Jesus’ replywas that the woman had done a ‘good work.’
The poor whom we will always have among us cannot be used as an excuse to prevent ‘good works.’
Ah boy, look at trouble!
More effective than any newspaper columnist.
Today (11/28/09) marks a new day/way for media in T&T..
Moving, motivating and in living colour.. HUH?!
Maybe now we can SEE the players in this FIREONE FIREWORKS company..
Somehow they don’t seem to get any attention in this affair… strange indeed.
“Theres no price on national pride.” What an idiot. Apparently two million dollars TT is the going rate for national pride in TNT.
If I can believe that it cost that amount in TT, then it’s not that bad. If it’s Euro’s or U.S. Dollars, then it’s an outrage. For now, I’ll take him at his word.