CHEC denies subcontractor accusations

(Jamaican Gleaner):  The international firm China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the main contractor in the US$65-million Palisadoes Shoreline project, has broken its silence on several allegations made against the company by some local subcontractors involved in the project. The company characterised allegations concerning the non-payment of funds to subcontractors as baseless, damaging and unsubstantiated references that portrayed the CHEC in a very bad light. "Several references are made about subcontractors and various grouses. China Harbour wishes to state for the record that it has only one subcontractor on the Palisadoes Shoreline Project – that contractor is Y.P. Seaton and Associates."

The company stressed that no other contractors or suppliers are contracted directly to China Harbour. "Unless the 'subcontractors' quoted in the article is Y.P. Seaton and Associates then none of their references can be taken in respect of China Harbour."

However, several truckers and suppliers of road work material who described themselves as sub-contractors, told The Gleaner that they began to work for China Harbour under a verbal arrangement when payments from YP Seaton were not forthcoming. They said they had gone to China Harbour representatives to work out arrangements whereby they would bypass Y.P. Seaton and deal directly with the company. The claimed, however, that they have been forced to withdraw their services as the amount being paid by China Harbour cannot sustain them.

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