Phuket Governor requests 38 million baht to finally finish Provincial Hall

The Governor of Phuket, Phakaphong Tavipatana, confirms he has requested 38 million baht for the long-awaited completion of Phuket Provincial Hall on the south side of Phuket town.

Last October, he had asked for a new contractor to be appointed by December, but that never happened.

It’s understood he has now filed a request with the Ministry of Interior in hopes of securing the funds needed to finally complete the project.

Officials still have 160 million baht remaining from the original project budget. However, more funds are required to hire a new contractor, after the original one failed to finish the work.

The Governor confirms that over 22 million baht has been recovered from the original contractor, this being the standard 5% deposit held back as part of government regulations to ensure contract completion. On top of this, a further 11,976,338 baht has also been claimed from the contractor, Chun Eaw Co Ltd, for unfinished works.

It’s understood there were multiple reasons the contractor was unable to complete the project, including changes to the law affecting migrant workers. But despite being given two extensions, they never managed to finish it.

Governor Phakaphong confirms that all reclaimed funds were handed over to the Comptroller General’s department (CGD), but they have refused to return the funds to allow for completion of the work.

As a result, he has had to file a request for funds, which is now being considered by the Ministry for Interior.

SOURCE: The Phuket News