SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 2nd December (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government Council of the Canary Islands, at the behest of the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility, has announced the decision of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) to endorse the agreement established between the Ministry and the UTE OHL, in order to adhere to the ruling that nullifies the contract awarded by the previous governmental team for the work on the island ring connecting El Tanque and Santiago del Teide, situated on the island of Tenerife.
This was revealed at a press conference by the councillor, Pablo Rodríguez, who indicated that the deal struck between the Canary Islands government and the UTE is valued at 13,777,496.74 euros and has been formally approved.
Rodríguez stated that the primary aim is to ensure that “the work does not cease, and that there are no further delays,” whilst also striving for “the minimal additional cost” as OHL had requested over 23 million euros. He elaborated that through this judicially validated agreement, “a chapter, which regrettably incurs a considerable expense”, reaches a conclusion “in an effective manner.”
The contract for the work between El Tanque and Santiago del Teide was awarded in June 2019 to the UTE OHL when Pablo Rodríguez served as Minister of Public Works, with a budget of 213.4 million euros, excluding IGIC, after the technicians from the Council determined that no irregularity could be identified in their proposal.
However, the UTE FCC subsequently lodged an appeal claiming that OHL’s proposal was non-compliant with labour and social regulations.
The Administrative Contract Court mandated the exclusion of OHL, prompting the Ministry to allocate the work to another UTE in October 2023, under the leadership of the former councillor from the previous administration, Sebastián Franquis.
In March of this year, the ruling from the First Section of the Administrative Litigation Chamber of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, dated 14th March 2024, was communicated, which annulled the resolution from the Administrative Court of Public Contracts of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, as well as the order from the former Minister of Public Works and Transportation, which had declared the viability of UTE-OHL’s proposal and awarded them the contract.
At present, the project is at an advanced stage of execution, having exceeded 60% of the initial budget, and is anticipated to be completed by 2027.
