Oz firms term CWG OC decision not to pay dues ‘ridiculous’
By ANIThursday, February 3, 2011
MELBOURNE - Some Australian firms who had threatened to launch legal proceedings against the organizing committee of the Delhi Commonwealth Games for non-payment of dues, have reacted with disappointment to the latter’s decision not pay those who failed to meet their contractual obligations.
Australian firms Spectak Production, which is run by Ric Birch; wiss-based EKS, owned by Australian Craig McLatchey, and Greg Bowman’s Great Big Events are among those which haven’t been fully paid.
Birch, the creative force behind six Olympic Games ceremonies, described the organising committee decision as “ridiculous”.
He said he would pursue full payment and that the matter was with his lawyers.
“At no time during the term of the contract did [Games organisers] mention any dissatisfaction and waited two months after the Games, and two months after final payment was due, to announce that Spectak was ‘not up to the mark’.
“The [Games] response is ridiculous, but then so many of their decisions were,” The Age quoted him, as saying.
McLatchey said EKS had fulfilled its contractual obligations, a fact acknowledged by the Games organisers.
“In fact, EKS consistently outperformed the scope of work required and the quality of the work was widely acknowledged within the organising committee and other entities,” he said.
Great Big Events is still owed more than $100,000.
“They were extremely delighted with the result, we went way over and above the contract. And we had good relations with the people we worked with, that’s why this is so disappointing,” Great Big Events CEO Greg Bowman said.
CWG has cleared dues of 36 foreign vendors, part payment for nine ithheld
On Tuesday, the Organizing Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 has said that it contracted 45 foreign vendors for the conduct of the event.
It said that payments equal to Rs.114.84 crore had been made to 36 foreign vendors by January 31, 2011.
The remaining nine vendors it said have been already paid Rs.191.11crore and a balance Rs.17.80 crore has been withheld because of non-performance of contractual obligations.
The companies who have defaulted are as follows:
1. Swiss Timing
2. Infostrade Sports
3. K Events SRL
4. Mark Fisher
5. Great Big Event
6. Spectek Production
7. Production Resource Group
8. EKS Workforce
9. E and Y Workforce (Consortium with EKS)
In addition, there are 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to whom a total travel grant equivalent to Rs.16.74 crore were payable.
Out of these 71 CGAs, 64 CGAs have been fully paid amounting to Rs.14.95 crore, and the balance payment to 7 CGAs amounting to Rs.1.79 crore will be released by February 7, 2011. (ANI)
