San José - Caldera
Highway Contract Changes
Only Require Ombudsman
Approval
The coming week could be
key to the completion of
the San José - Caldera
highway that links San
José to Puntarenas and
drastically cuts travel
time to Jacó and Quepos
as the Consejo Nacional
de Concesiones (CNC)
delivers the final "addéndum"
to the Contraloría
General de la República
(CGR).
The "addéndum" or
changes to the contract,
is the final draft of
the contract for the
completion of the road
that began as a dream
some 30 years ago and
has seen start and stop
for the last decade.
The final draft includes
the points negotiated
between the government,
the contractor and the
financiers of the
project.
The contract now has to
reviewed and approved by
the Comptroller, which
is expected to take some
45 days, which if
approved, the work to
complete the highway can
commence.
The "addéndum" takes
into account nine key
points of contention,
most of which were
related to material
costs, bringing costs
upt to date, as prices
have changed since the
contract was signed and
current.
The biggest stumbling
block was the ninth
point related to the
us$200 million dollar
financing that the
contractor, Autopistas
del Sol, requires for
the project. The hang up
was on the amount of the
fine or fines the
government could force
on the contractor for
delays, the financiers
wanting a cap on the
amount before they would
disburse any funds.
For the time being, the
machines and work crews
are sitting idly by
waiting the approval of
the latest contract.
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