Reconstruction of children's polyclinic in Odesa reveals cost overestimation by 5 million

The Odesa City Council has selected a contractor to repair and rebuild the children's clinic No. 6, which was damaged by a Russian drone explosion a year ago. The work, worth about UAH 80 million, will be carried out by Odeskolovpostach Repair and Construction Site, a company that is already suspected of embezzling budget funds.

The relevant analysis was conducted by NGL.media.

The company was the only participant in the open bidding announced by the Capital Construction Department of the City Council, so the contract was signed with it. An analysis of the estimate documentation showed a significant overestimation of the cost of certain materials - sometimes by an order of magnitude. The estimated overpayment for the identified items alone is over UAH 5 million.

Examples of overpricing include gypsum putty, polyvinyl acetate dispersion, soundproofing tape, adhesives and insulation boards, metal cassettes and brackets, which are overpaid by tens to thousands of percent compared to the market price.

Ceresit CT 126 finishing gypsum putty costs UAH 30.72 per kilogram in the estimate, while the market price is UAH 22.12, which results in an overpayment of UAH 138.23 thousand. Unplasticized polyvinyl acetate dispersion is estimated at UAH 254.21 per kilogram, although it is sold on the market for UAH 115, which is an overpayment of UAH 686.88 thousand. Soundproofing tape made of polyurethane foam costs UAH 239 per meter, while the market price is UAH 6.17 per meter, an overpayment of UAH 36.38 thousand.

Ceresit K188E adhesive for PVC quartz vinyl and rubber coatings weighing 12 kg costs 373.33 UAH per kilogram, while the market price is 175.02 UAH, an overpayment of 203.27 thousand UAH. The adhesive mixture for ceramic tiles Ceresit CM 11 is estimated at UAH 14.88 per kilogram, while the market price is UAH 8.72, an overpayment of UAH 111.66 thousand. The 2-5 mm Ceresit SE 33 SUPER colored joint is estimated at UAH 149.71 per kilogram, while the market price is UAH 98.01, and the overpayment is UAH 65.07 thousand.

Plasterboard sheets for partitions with a thickness of 12 mm are estimated at 160.2 UAH/m², while the market price is 130.8 UAH/m², and the overpayment is 100.06 thousand UAH. A metal cassette measuring 600×600 mm costs UAH 142 per piece, the market price is UAH 120, and the overpayment is UAH 47.7 thousand. Mineral wool insulation boards with a thickness of 100 mm are valued at 554.8 UAH/m², the market price is 385 UAH/m², and the overpayment is 371.03 thousand hryvnias.

Ceresit CT 42 acrylic paint costs UAH 210.8 per liter, while the market price is UAH 194.33, an overpayment of UAH 38.7 thousand. Metal-plastic window blocks are valued at 5254 UAH/m², the market value is 4867 UAH/m², and the overpayment is 125.07 thousand UAH. Ready-mixed heavy cement mortar M150 costs 2658 UAH/m³, the market price is 1890 UAH/m³, and the overpayment is 97.08 thousand hryvnias.

The estimate estimates the cost of glass tape at UAH 183.7 per meter, while the market price is UAH 5 per meter, an overpayment of UAH 228.35 thousand. Steel siding with a polymer coating costs 541 UAH/m², the market price is 270.44 UAH/m², and the overpayment is 646.82 thousand UAH. An external and internal corner costs 215 UAH/m², with a market price of 76.5 UAH, an overpayment of 154.33 thousand UAH.

The leveling brackets are valued at UAH 278 per piece, while the market price is UAH 21.7, and the overpayment is UAH 2007.05 thousand. The total amount of overpayments for materials is over UAH 5.06 million.

It is worth noting that the contract was concluded with a dynamic price, which gives the capital construction department the opportunity to adjust the cost of materials when accepting interim acts of work performed. The controlling stake in the company is owned by Odesa businessman Oleksandr Fridman. Odeskolovpostach is said to be one of the key contractors of the city council, which has received more than a billion hryvnias from it over the past decade.

Last December, the police launched a pre-trial investigation into the overpricing of another project of this company.

The Center for Public Investigations also wrote that in 2017, Odeskholovpostach was involved in a criminal proceeding over forgery. According to the investigation, the company entered into an agreement with the Odesa Department of Municipal Economy to perform emergency repairs in a residential building. However, the work was not completed in full, although the acceptance certificates were signed as if everything had been done.

Анна Бальчінос