Liberia: Foreign Company Renovates Capitol Building

A foreign company named Dalta Architecture Construction has been awarded the contract to renovate the Capitol Building.

The US$ 1.3 million contract is for the renovation of the building as a means of solving age-old problems involving leaking roofs, plumbing problems,  and the lack of running water.

Dalta Architecture is also expected to renovate both Houses Chambers, the William R. Tolbert Jr. Joint Assembly Hall, instill an air conditioning system, and security booths amongst others. 

The contract, according to Representative Johnson Gwaikolo, was awarded to Dalta after it emerged that the four Liberian Companies, which participated in the bidding process, did not meet the Public Procurement Concession Commission contract requirements. 

Rep. Gwaikolo is House Chair on Rules, Order, and Administration.

"We went through the bidding process with the help of PPCC, we were directly involved and they worked with us every step of the way,   we don't want to step outside of the PPCC framework, we had three to four Liberian Companies that participated in the bid through elevation the most responsive one was Delta Architecture Construction Company," Rep.  Gwaikolo said as reported by Women TV, which first broke the story. 

He added that the US$1.3M was appropriated in the 2021 special National budget to renovate the entire Capitol building which includes the two old chambers and the purchasing of two water tracks.

Rep. Gwaikolo further said that the renovation work is expected to be completed in March 2022.

The House decision comes after a Liberian Company named Anglo Group of Companies painted the Capitol some time ago but suffered to get paid.

 The company co-owner Gus Win had to stage a protest including laying down under Speaker Bhofal Chambers' car, forcing the House via Rep. Marvin Cole to give a check of US$20,000 as initial debt payment.

This action, pundits believe, may have triggered the hiring of a foreign company for the work.