In a report released late last week the Commission of Audit (CA) highlights the poor cooperation and communication between the government’s then municipal and public works bureaus for their joint planning of a rainwater pumping station project in the Inner Harbour district a number of years ago, resulting in the adoption of lower standards and specifications on the station’s rainwater discharge capacity.
The rainwater pumping station in the northern area of the Inner Harbour district came into use in 2021. The facility, officially known as Inner Harbour North Rainwater Pumping Station, is located near the Ponte 16 casino-hotel.
The two public entities slammed by the audit report, which was released on Friday, were the previous Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the predecessor of the current Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), and the previous Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT).
IAM replaced IACM in 2019.
DSSOPT, which was tasked with planning and supervising certain public projects, was restructured and renamed Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) in April last year.
The new DSSCU is no longer tasked with supervising public-sector projects. The current Public Works Bureau (DSOP), which was upgraded from the previous Infrastructure Development Office (GDI) in April last year, is now tasked with planning and supervising all government projects.
The audit report points out that IACM first proposed in 2010 to build a rainwater pumping station in the northern area of the Inner Harbour district, which was then initially expected to be completed in 2014.
However, according to the audit report, IACM had to choose a new location for the project because of requirements raised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) for the protection of cultural heritage structures.
Consequently, the audit report points out, IACM was only able to launch a public tender in May 2018 for the rainwater pumping station project after coming up with a new location that was greenlighted by IC officials.
The project, which cost around 109 million patacas, was completed in May 2021, the report notes.
According to the report, the Commission of Audit found that IACM had never consulted DSSOPT when planning and deciding on the standards for the rainwater pumping station’s discharge capacity.
The report says that IACM only submitted the project’s construction plan and design to DSSOPT after completing drafting it.
After a research study, the audit report points out, DSSOPT concluded that the rainwater pumping station in the northern area of the Inner Harbour district should adopt standards capable of tackling floods with a level of a 20-year recurrence interval.
However, the audit report says, DSSOPT did not tell IACM about the research study.
In addition, the report says that after assessing the project’s construction plan and design submitted by IACM, which proposed to adopt standards only capable of tackling floods with a level of a 10-year recurrence interval, DSSOPT did not give any feedback to IACM.
Finally, according to the audit report, the rainwater pumping station was constructed only in compliance with the standards of a 10-year recurrence interval.
The audit report also says that the project’s delay also resulted in an increase in construction and administrative costs.
A man walks past the Inner Harbour North Rainwater Pumping Station last week.
– Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
