National

DRA Audit Reveals Work Stopped, Payments Missed

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The financial statements of the DRA detailing startling statistics and revealing outstanding funds owed to the association.

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2022

Berthony McDermott

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The financial statements of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority detailing startling statistics and revealing outstanding funds owed to the DRA for unfinished work. It also shows the authority’s net loss is in the millions.

The Disaster Reconstruction’s financial statements revealing the company chosen to construct domes in Abaco pulled out having only completed less than 25% of the work.

According to the audit, after constructing 34 of the 213 domes promised on Abaco, Brickell Management Group did not want to continue the $6.4 million contract signed with the Minnis administration.

The audit also states the DRA was charged with managing the completion of the domes.

At the time, the company was paid $4.6 million and determined it was owed $1.1 million by government, but it seems government decided otherwise.

According to the report, while the DRA is assessing to determine the inventory of material and the value received on the contract, “The DRA has determined that no further funds are due to BMG.”

BMG’s initial position was that it owed $1.1 million but was prepared to settle for $1 million which was further reduced to $600,000.

The audit also notes that some material left for the project went missing, adding that management had no record of how the missing inventory was disposed of.

An investigation however was launched into the matter.

Following BMG’s fallout, it was decided that precision design and construction would continue the work. But, that didn’t last long.

In April 2021, precision determined it would not continue and stopped the installation of 66 domes. At that time only 35 were deemed completed.

DRA has determined precision owes the government $81,106. The report says the balance has not been agreed by precision and therefore not been accrued as in these statements.

The audit also noted the DRA suffered a net loss of just over $2.1 million since it started operations back in 2019.