In a long and detailed reply, Minister Austin Gatt gave Evarist Bartolo (PL) a long list of tenders and other expenses, including direct orders that have so far been made on the government’s principal projects, notably the City Gate project by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, as well as information on the commitments on some of the sub-sections.

Thus, as regards the City Gate project, Bovis Land Lease Int. has won a tender for project management services. This costs €2.943 million of which €864,000 have been paid until the end of August.

Ove ARUP & Partners won a €2.850 million tender for engineering services, of which €1.06 million have already been paid. Polidano won two tenders, one for site-wide enablement works costed at €580,000 (€107,000 paid already) and another for temporary site accommodation (€181,000 – €21,000).

J Bees JV did exploratory work at the Opera House and was paid the full €44,000, while BlB JV won the tender for demolition and excavation, costed at €484,000; Agius, Camray, Vassallo JV that for the restoration of the Opera House ruins (€373,000) and Perit V Cassar was awarded the tender for architectural monitoring services (€850) but no payment in regard to these three has yet been issued.

Also with regard to the City Gate project, the following contracts have been awarded after a request for quotes: Harrison Group for site investigations for the City Gate project and St Elmo (€44,145, all paid); Tu Wien GmbH for a 3-D scanning survey of the Opera House (€29,000, all paid) and Muller-BBM for acoustic consultancy services (€160,000, all paid).

Terracore was given many contracts: site investigation works at City Gate (€3,752), at the Opera House site (€7,935), hardstone testing (€6,300), test pits at City Gate Ditch (€16,112), further tests at Lascaris Ditch (€1,950), site investigations boreholes (€27,580), site investigations boreholes (€27,580), site investigations trial pits (€6,157), geothermal testing for the City Gate project (€33,400), investigative boreholes at City Gate (€23,374), site investigation works at City Gate (€29,780), trial pits at City Gate (€5,218), and vibration monitoring services at City Gate (€228,880). Except for the last item, all the above have been paid in full.

Contractor Vassallo was paid €756 for temporary fencing, ARC International Ltd was paid €36,175 for land surveying for the City Gate project, BD Atherson was paid €3,750 of the €19,750 awarded for fire engineering consultancy and David Pisani €2,800 for photographic archival documentation. Franck Franjou was awarded a contract for €82,000 for lighting consultancy services for City Gate but no payments have been made so far.

As regards direct orders regarding the City Gate project, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop was awarded €6.6 million for architectural services for the project but only €2.670 million have been paid so far. ADI Associates was paid the full €53,257 for a traffic impact statement, PDS and Contram studies for the City Gate project, and a further €26,045 for a TIS reporting on City Gate. BD Atherson was paid €2,500 for fire protection and safety consultation services for the project, MTS Operon €1,370 for a noise survey at the Valletta entrance, Systematica €1,500 for a pedestrian flow assessment at City Gate, while Shield Security Consultants was given a direct order for €8,000 for security consultancy services, but has not been paid yet.

The tender for the substructure works for the parliament building is at evaluation stage at present while the tender for the superstructure works had a 25 October deadline.

The tender for the upgrading of the Valletta Bus Terminus has a 14 December deadline. Solidbase was paid almost €10,000 for trial pits.

As regards works on the Banca Giuratale (Merchants Street), Camray Co. Ltd was paid €18,755 (tender: €17,470, variation: €1,285) for cleaning and removal of debris, and €108,000 (tender: €70,631, variation: €54,617) for demolition and structural works. Lima Building Products was paid €106,000 (tender: €58,934, variation: €50,142) for restoration and decoration work. Engineering Services Ltd won a €17,000 tender for M&E consultancy services and Cutrico Services won a €492,000 tender for the installation of such services. Smaller tenders were won by Steel Shape for skylights, Aluserv for doors and windows, Calleja for light fittings and Vella Falzon for soffits.

The minister said the variations were due to the complex nature of the restoration work – most of the work was unexpected. However, there are the necessary approvals in each case, the minister said.

However, two tenders – for Titan for a lift installation, and Joseph Cachia & Son for raised flooring – were appealed.

There was also an appeal lodged at the Contracts Department as regards architectural consultancy services for the British and the Knights buildings at Dock Number One. The Contracts Committee was instructed to re-issue the tender and it is now at evaluation stage. In this regard, Solidbase has been paid €13,275 for trial pits.

Cyan Engineering Co. Ltd was given a direct order for €30 an hour for M&E consultancy services in this project (€9,802 paid already) and Architectural Project a €560,000 direct order for architectural services (€499,000 paid already). Philip B. Grech was given a direct order for €20,200 for consultancy for rainwater, drainage and supplies for irrigation (€12,000 paid already).

As regards the Barrakka Lift, the tender for a Design and Build contract for a two-car panoramic lift, landscaping and embellishment at Lascaris Ditch has an 18 January deadline. In this regard, Franck Franjou has been awarded a direct order for €10,000 for lighting design consultancy, TUV Malta Ltd a direct order of €11,500 for M&E consultancy services and Architecture Project €122,500 for architectural services. This sum has been upgraded to €134,639 because the design had to be changed more than once due to Mepa, the minister said.

Finally, Demicoli & Associates was given a €30,000 direct order as regards architectural services for the Fort St Elmo project and Design Solutions a €34,200 direct order as regards architectural services for the Menqa project.