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GB.270/PFA/7
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Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee |
PFA |
SEVENTH ITEM ON THE AGENDA
Report of the Building Subcommittee
1. The Building Subcommittee reviewed progress reports on the extension of the premises for the ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan(1) and on the construction of the ILO premises in Islamabad.(2)
Progress report on the extension of the premises
for the ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan
2. Considerable progress has been made on the construction work for the annex to the building. All the structural work for the underground part of the building as well as for the various floors has been completed up to the level of the roof. The roof itself should be finished during the month of November 1997. The main stairwell, the emergency staircase and the lift shaft have been completed up to the third floor and the installation work on the structure and the lift cage is keeping pace with construction. Work on the plumbing system and the wiring continues, as does non-structural work such as finishing and paintwork on the various floors.
3. The construction enterprise is currently making every possible effort to complete its work and the various trades are working all out to ensure that the extension work is completed by the contractual deadline. According to the work schedule, the provisional handing over of the building should take place in mid-January 1998.
Progress report on the construction
of the ILO premises in Islamabad
4. The Subcommittee was informed that the construction work on the Office premises and the conference hall was progressing. As regards the wing of the building which will house the offices, the following finishes have been completed: plasterwork, paintwork, flooring, false ceilings, plumbing and the installation of air ducts and electricity conduits. The carpentry work, the finishing of the sanitary installations, the glazing of the windows and the installation of metal doors and windows has progressed but has not yet been completed. However, there has been a relatively long delay in the construction work on the conference hall. This delay was primarily due to the need to adjust the architectural and land drainage plans to take account of the geo-technical conditions encountered owing to the presence of underground water pockets. It was also accentuated by a series of difficulties between the construction enterprise and the architect concerning the clearing of amendments to construction drawings and the acceptance of work completed.
5. The Office immediately intervened to promote better relations between the parties through regular meetings and contacts and thereby help avoid any further delays. A corresponding agreement was reached in which the construction enterprise undertook, inter alia, to make ready two floors of the premises by the end of December 1997 so that the ILO Office in Islamabad can be transferred there on that date.
6. The transfer of the ILO Office to its new premises at the end of the year will certainly speed up the completion of the work as a result of the presence of Office personnel. Furthermore, it is important for the ILO Office to be able to move to its new premises by the end of the year because that is when its current rental agreement expires and it would be difficult to gain an extension.
7. As regards the air-conditioning, following an in-depth technical evaluation of the bids submitted and once it had received all the necessary financial security from the enterprise, the Office signed a contract for work with United Builders (PVT) Ltd. during the summer.
8. The addition of air-conditioning during the course of the work and the further construction work it requires have inevitably led to an additional delay in the completion of work, in particular as regards the conference hall. Under the agreement the enterprise has undertaken to complete all the air-conditioning work by June 1998 at the latest, but most probably by April/May 1998, to tie in with the completion of the rest of the building.
Geneva, 11 November 1997.