By: Trinidad Guardian

Sunday November 08,

“Udecott is here to stay!” Executive chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of T&T Calder Hart bodly declared last Friday. He was speaking during an exclusive interview with the Sunday Guardian at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (North Campus), Queen’s Park East. Prime Minister Patrick Manning is scheduled to formally open the million-dollar academy tomorrow. It is the venue for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) later this month. According to Hart, the academy, built with a loan from the Chinese Government, was completed “on time and on budget.” Hart and Udecott have been consistently criticised by Opposition politicians, former trade minister Dr Keith Rowley, the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry and others over the company’s procurement procedures.

 Udecott is also at the heart of the suspended Uff Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector. Despite the barrage of public criticisms, including calls for his dismissal, Hart insists that Udecott has a proud performance record. “Everybody, I think, is entitled to be judged on their body of work and I think Udecott’s body of work speaks for itself,” Hart said. “I think what Udecott and Calder Hart, as well, really want to be judged on is by the things we do. And I think we have been set a serious challenge by the Government and I don’t think that we are going to be found shirking our responsibilities. We intend to perform to the very best of our ability.”

Hart said Udecott was expected to embark on a wider mandate of construction projects as it begins construction of police and fire stations, hospitals and other “social infrastructure projects” across the country. “The challenge for Udecott going forward is now to move into the area of the social and physical infrastructure,” Hart added. He said because of Udecott’s proud performance record “the Government will expect more, and one of the areas that we’ve got to get into is also the renovation of a lot of our older structures. We certainly intend to be there with that.”

 Repairs to Red House, Whitehall

He said one of the first such buildings Udecott has to renovate is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Knowsley building, which is close to the National Academy for the performing Arts North Campus. Hart said President’s House, Whitehall and the Red House were some of the other old buildings to be renovated by Udecott shortly. “We’ve got to bring the same kind of developed skill set that we have evolved into with the construction of new buildings into the rehabilitation and renovation of existing ones. That is certainly where I see a number of Udecott’s future endeavours going,” Hart added.

Hart said there remained a need for “more and more local content” to be involved in the projects across the country. “The challenge for us is to get more of the local contractors in as sub-contractors and increasing their role with each subsequent project.” Hart said this must be done not only to get local people involved in the projects, but also to allow for a transfer of the technology. He said Udecott and other foreign companies doing work in T&T were moving to set up a training school next year to teach nationals about “finish trades.” Udecott manages most of the Government’s billion-dollar construction projects.