Daniel Arguelles Defends Contracts
Daniel Arguelles
Daniel Arguelles defended the contracts saying the P.U.P. has twisted the facts, since some of the huge contracts were joint ventures for which I.E. was responsible for designs services. Arguelles rejected the notion that the contracts were bloated, saying their services are world class.
Daniel Arguelles, International Environments
“I think after hearing him list of the projects first thing that came to my mind is it is a little bit skewed or inaccurate. Some contracts are not fully IE. It is joint venture contracts, two of the bigger ones are joint venture so it is not all I.E. and others one in particular the Placencia Pier and Promenade, we are just designers. We supervised that contract. Maheia United is the one who executed the construction of that contract. A little bit concerning when the facts aren’t accurate.”
Hipolito Novelo
“They are saying fifteen contracts valued over one hundred and three million dollars. So you are saying that is not true, that is not accurate?”
Daniel Arguelles
“Not entirely I mean some of the contracts are solely IE and I encourage anyone to go on our website. We have our portfolio online and they can see the description of all of these contracts and they are both public and private contracts. So the inaccuracy of that lump sum figure that he has in the end is just not correct.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Okay so he lists out these contracts and the value of these contracts for exampled the Lake Independence Building I believe at nineteen point two million dollars. Is that accurate?”
Daniel Arguelles
“I don’t know the exact number but fairly accurate. That one yes but at the same time that is a joint venture contract.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The Saca Chipas Pier in San Pedro at six million dollars?”
Daniel Arguelles
“That is a design contract. That was executed by another contractor.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The Marion Jones Sports Complex Phase two – two point five million.”
Daniel Arguelles
“That was a long time ago, but really that was a smaller part of that entre project. That was just a track and field that we had built at the time.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Belize City four point pedestrian walkway – six million dollars.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes we contracted that.”
Hipolito Novelo
“House of Culture – three point eight million.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes. That is a renovation project.”
Hipolito Novelo
“City Hall at three point six million dollars.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The San Pedro Football Field, two hundred and sixty three thousand dollars.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Does are design services.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Punta Gorda Sport Complex, three point one million.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The Belmopan Roof Project, one point one.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes those are several canopies around that area.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The ITVET building here in Freetown, two million.”
Daniel Arguelles
“That was a long time ago, yes.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Cayo Welcome Center three million.”
Daniel Arguelles
“That was done by another contractor. We were I think a small portion of a joint venture, I think.”
Hipolito Novelo
“They are saying that I.E. got a lot of bloated contracts from the government.”
Daniel Arguelles
“It is not bloated at all. It is projects that they are getting first world standard construction and designs so it is not the ordinary run a mill Belize standard type projects.”
Hipolito Novelo
“I was going over the company’s website, going over the list of project I see a lot of them are from government. Would you say that majority of works that the company does is for the government of Belize?”
Daniel Arguelles
“Certainly not.”
Hipolito Novelo
“What percentage would you say? Because most of the pictures are from works you done for the government.”
Daniel Arguelles
“Yes but I also have project for private client, very big clients. We did the US Embassy. We are working on a Marriott Hotel right now and these projects are bigger than the price for anything we have done for the government.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The P.U.P. is comparing yourself and your brother to “the infamous Imer Hernandez”. They are saying or suggesting that what Imer was for the government in terms of road contracts that you, your brother and your company are to the government when it comes to building contracts. How do you respond to that?”
Daniel Arguelles
“I don’t know Imer Hernandez. All I do is bid on some projects it is the industry that we are in designing and building that is how we make money. I am not going to do any other project and I don’t need to look into what somebody else is doing to compare themselves to me so I can’t speak to that.”
