Construction work at the Batu Ferringhi market and hawker complex is delayed because contractors found rocks underground that needed to be blasted.

THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) should carry out proper soil checks before approving planning permission for projects, to prevent the projects from being delayed.

Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu’s assistant Lim Cheng Hoe said this would also prevent contractors from having to pay huge fine as they were required to pay liquidated damages for late delivery (liquidated ascertained damages or LAD) for any delay.

Lim said some projects were delayed as contractors found rocks underground and they have to carry out remedial works such as rock blasting before they could start work on the project.

This, he said, resulted in the delay of the project completion.

He said one such example was the RM9mil construction of the Batu Ferringhi two-storey market and hawkers complex.

He said the complex was supposed to have been completed in June last year but was delayed.

Work on the project started on June 30, 2014.

“However, the contractor was granted an extension until Dec 29 last year, as the contractor found many rocks underground and had to carry out clearing works at the site.

“If the council had carried out a thorough soil inspection before approving the planning permission for the project, this delay could have been prevented,” he said during a press conference at the project site of the complex yesterday.

The contractor company’s project manager said he has been slapped with almost RM300,000 in LAD since January this year by the council for the delay.

Contractors of delayed projects have to pay LAD, calculated daily at a rate of 15% of the project cost.