Filenews 1 September 2022 - by Vassos Vassiliou
Bids for the construction of the new archaeological museum skyrocketed, considering that in the lowest offer of €120.9 million, the number of bids for the construction of the new archaeological museum skyrocketed. VAT will be added, so that the allocation will amount to €143.9 million, while based on the second offer, the amount skyrockets to €178.2 million. These are now the figures, while in 2017 the then Minister of Transport, Marios Dimitriadis, in an interview set the cost of this museum at €50 million. which, together with VAT, would amount to €59.5 million.
Later, in 2019, the then Minister of Transport Vasiliki Anastasiadou had stated that the construction cost was estimated at €83 million. plus VAT, i.e. €98.7 million. In the years that preceded it, estimates limited the cost of building the museum to less than €50 million.
The Minister of Transport, Giannis Karousos, invited by "F" to comment on his own report in 2021 that the cost would be €102 million. He stated that the data were differentiated, specifying, however, that the matter will be examined by the Council of Pronunciations of the Department of Public Works. He also clarified that to the €102 million, the VAT that raised the amount to €121.3 million should be added. It is noted that in 2021, when the cost was estimated at €102 million. the impact and increases resulting from the pandemic had also been taken into account.
As "F" is informed, the Department of Public Works considers at first sight that at least from a numerical point of view, the lowest pronunciation is within the budget. Moreover, based on the practice followed, when an offer is up to 20% higher than the estimate of the competent department, it is not considered too high to be rejected.
However, in the Tenders Council it is not excluded that a question may also be raised as to whether there has been healthy competition, in the sense that only two entities have submitted a tender, and indeed the difference between them is huge. The transport minister reiterated that he would not handle the matter himself, although he noted that various companies essentially worked together, bidding as joint ventures.
It is noted that the construction of a new Museum began to be discussed in 1987, while the "official" decision was taken by the Council of Ministers on 15.2.1995.
At some stage, the budget was deducted from the budget for the construction of the new Cypriot museum, in the place of which the Palace of Culture was preferred. In 2010, the then mayor of Nicosia sent a letter to the then President of the Republic expressing concern about the developments, while describing the museum as a "priority project for Nicosia, which will upgrade the protection and promotion of the country's archaeological wealth".
The construction contract of the new museum will last 42 months but will be able to receive the first visitors in 60 months, that is, around 2028 and this is because, in addition to the construction time, another 18 months will be required for the implementation of museological / museographic works, such as the maintenance of the exhibits, the transfer from the existing museum and the placement of new exhibits in showcases, preparation of exhibition texts, design of visual material, which will be executed through two more contracts.
