Payment for Pan Borneo Highway delayed for three months, says works minister

KUCHING, Nov 6 — The payment for the Pan Borneo highway project has been delayed by three months that was supposedly paid by the Lebuhraya Borneo Utara (LBU), whose role is as the project delivery partner (PDP), said Minister of Works, Baru Bian.

He said he received a lot of reports on the project being carried out a bit slow and there were some packages that did not seem to work.

“I’m very happy to note that works on progress is ongoing. There is not much problem and they (contractors) do recognise there are some delays.

“The contractors said they are complaining about some delays in paying their claims. On the average, three months delay,” he said in a media conference here today.

Eloberating further, Baru said the delay was since July when all the contractors had never been paid.

“Of course if they haven’t been paid on time, how would the contractors want to proceed well and I am very sympathetic with them because it involves a large amount of money.

Baru said currently, the whole project is under LBU while the Ministry of Works would only take over the project in February 2020.

Meanwhile, Baru assured that when the Works Ministry takes over the project in February next year, all payments to the contractors will be made within 30 days.

Baru said, he also received a complaint regarding the bad condition of the roads along the alignment of the Pan Borneo and had instructed the contractors to look and improve the road conditions as well as to provide any necessary item for the safety of road users.

“I think the signage and the blinkers at night must be there. Sufficient warning to all road users must be given because it involved their safety,” he said. — Bernama