Agriculture loses $4.4M Cetti Bay project

by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - The Department of Agriculture has lost a $4.4 million contract. Director Maritita Taitague confirms the department was significantly behind on the project resulting in the Navy terminating the agreement and six workers being let go.

In 2008 the department signed a cooperative agreement to bushcut and plant 50 acres a year at Cetti Bay for ten years. "They told me the reason why they terminated the contract on us is because we're not doing good  and I figure out that maybe it was because there was actually no supervision. Perhaps maybe that was the reason and maybe the lateness of the contract; when they finally sign it that's why we were behind 50 acres," Taitague said. 

The Navy has decided to outsource the project to another company but has agreed to allow the Department of Agriculture to plant seedlings in exchange for $165,000 a year. Taitague says some of the terminated employees were picked up by the company that has been outsourced to do the Cetti Bay project while the two that remain on board are handling the seedling project.