All works, maintenance and services contracts of the Johor Public Works Department that have been affected by the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), Conditional MCO (CMCO) and Recovery MCO (RMCO) are qualified to get an extension of time for completion of 56 days.

State Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri said all works contracts were also qualified to get time extension for mobilisation and demobilisation accordingly, based on proof of documents presented by the contractors to support the time extension.

“Even though they are given time extension to complete the works automatically, the contractors are urged to start works earlier to stimulate the economic activities that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in a statement here, last night.

Mohd Solihan said during the RMCO period until June 21, there were a total of 29 out of 33 Federal projects in the state that had resumed operations, while four others have not started operations.

All the Federal projects are worth RM793.7 million.

For state projects, only eight out of 15 projects with a total value of RM179.7 million, had started operating while another seven projects had not started operations.

Mohd Solihan said among the reasons that these projects had not resumed operations were that the contractors did not submit the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) compliance documents set by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), facing financial problems as well as have difficulty in getting workers and construction materials.

Previously, under the Conditional MCO, all construction activities were allowed to operate from May 4, however, must comply with the SOPs set, among others, all workers and employers of foreign workers were required to undergo COVID-19 lab tests and confirmed free of infection before being allowed to start work.

According to Mohd Solihan, the requirement (to take COVID-19 test) was no longer mandatory, unless the building construction companies detect a COVID-19 case among their workers.

-- BERNAMA