Anutin considers getting contractors to pay for unfinished projects

[webfact]

Anutin considers getting contractors to pay for unfinished projects

By The Nation

 

Anutin Charnvirakul

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also deputy prime minister, is planning to have contractors who failed to honour their contracts and left jobs unfinished to compensate the Public Health Ministry for damages.

 

There were 10 construction jobs with a one-year contract and 10 with multiple-year contracts that were abandoned by contractors in the fiscal year of 2019, he said, adding that he has assigned his deputy Sathit Pitutecha who has a background in law, to help solve this issue. 

 

It is believed the contractors abandoned their jobs due to lack of funds, labour shortage, quoting an unrealistically low price for the job or the sub-contractor leaving the job undone. 

 

“The deputy minister [Sathit] and I will together get back the money that is from the state’s coffers and will strictly manage [construction projects], so as to prevent any such problems in the future,” the minister said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374531

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-09

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[Chang_paarp]

Is he saying he will actually enforce the contracts that were signed at the beginning of the project?

That could have unexpected consequences.

I wonder if it will go both ways?

[ChrisY1]

They obviously hand out crazy contracts here....!

Reviewing unrealistic prices on tender submissions is so blatantly obvious to a trained person.

But I guess I haven't taken into consideration the nepotism factor.....!

[mikebell]

I learned very early, (the lesson cost me thousands) you never pay a Thai contractor up front; just enough for materials and wages.  I've not learned how to get quality of workmanship into the contract.

[klauskunkel]

Well, remember to filter out those contractors with relations to Generals...

[lujanit]

The real reason is that the money dried up. Not because of tendering a low price but because so many ‘entitled’ individuals put their snouts into the trough after the tendered price was accepted.

[seajae]

instead of taking the lowest bid and pocketing the difference of what was allowed they need to take one from the middle/higher quotes that allows for everything specified, unfortunately that take their bonus out of their own pockets. By the time the subcontractors put i their quotes to the winner there is not enough money to do the job so they use cheap material or just walk away

[Oziex1]

The health minister, he is talking about the building of Hospitals? 

[Srikcir]

On 8/9/2019 at 2:45 PM, webfact said:

he has assigned his deputy Sathit Pitutecha who has a background in law, to help solve this issue. 

How about assigning the cases to the Office of the Attorney General to PROSECUTE contract defaults?

Putting someone with a "background in law" (what he audited some law courses?) to help "solve" this issue is more likely aimed at some kind of negotiation that will never be fully revealed.

This assignment implies some kind of collusion to actually protect contract defaults that may have been more the result of criminal conspiracy to defraud the Thai people than to failure to perform.

[smutcakes]

Maybe just give all contracts to Sino Thai construction? How many years behind and over budget are they with the new parliament building Anutin?