China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) will expand the stretch of 107 kilometers on the road to Limón, despite questions having been asked in four countries regarding fraud and bribery.

The opposition MP Manrique Oviedo said that China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent company, is on the World Bank's list of ineligible companies until 2017 because of fraudulent practices in the Philippines, among other questions.

In recent years the company has been linked to cases of apparent fraud, bribery, breach of contract and environmental damage in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Mexico.

"Every company in the world have been challenged in one way or another. It is not for us to judge and we will not find the perfect company. A tied loan is never questioned when the recommendation comes from a transport minister," said the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Pedro Castro.

Source: Nacion.com

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Without having read the contract with the construction company and ignoring final costs, the Legislature has approved the loan with the Chinese government to finance the extension of the road to Limón.

The loan with the government of China for $485 million is tied to a commercial contract with the Chinese state-run construction company CHEC, highly questioned not only technically but at the legal level, since it is one of the companies "... included in the list of companies ineligible for dealing with the World Bank until 2017 because of fraudulent practices in the Philippines ".

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