Government is still aiming to open the new Berkeley by September 2005 but costs could rise still further admitted Works and Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent yesterday.

Government is employing labourers at the site following the summer sacking of contractors Pro-Active but day-to-day management is by Somers Construction Ltd.

Yesterday Mr. DeVent invited the media to the site to see progress was being made following comments by Pro-Active boss Arthur Ebbin that work was virtually at a stand-still since his firm got the boot.

Mr. DeVent said: "As you can see, this is an active construction site. The current labour force here is around 80 people, but the numbers are anticipated to rise significantly as additional work packages are awarded over the next few weeks.

"One of our most important achievements has been making the building watertight to prevent further damage to completed work."

He said the revised target date of September, 2005 was still the goal but it was not definite.

"Within the next few weeks we will be able to have final scheduling and be closer to giving an estimated completion date and estimated costs."

The original completion date had been September, 2003 but was twice pushed back by a year while another $13 million was pumped into the project which is now costing $101 million.

Asked if it would stay within the new budget Mr. DeVent said: "We will have an estimate within a few weeks once all the contracts are signed.

"We are looking to protect the taxpayers money as best as possible but I am sure there's going to be some costs."

He said more than 20 sub-contractors, most of which were there before, have been hired to work on the project.

"Tender packages for the remaining works are being prepared," he said.

"I am very pleased with the excellent progress we have made and I think the people of Bermuda will be pleased with it too."

He admitted the management model was similar to that of the CedarBridge site which came in largely on time and on budget under the United Bermuda Party.

Asked if that meant that the Opposition had been right in their predictions about the problems which would befall Berkeley under Proactive Mr. DeVent refused to comment.

Somers has just 11 staff involved with the Berkeley project and is not employing workers directly.

Instead Works and Engineering has hired workers and sub contractors while Somers supervise the work.

He said Somers had been hired because it was the next lowest bidder in the original bidding process, had worked with the Ministry on CedarBridge and was ready to start immediately.

Arbitration with Pro-Active is set to hammer out claims and counter claims work Government has branded deficient.

The Minister was asked why Government at one point, under then-Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott, had claimed Pro-Active's work very good but now Government was saying there were errors.

Mr. DeVent said: "Generally much of the work was fine but this is a huge site and there were deficiencies.

Government Chief Architect Joseph Galea said: "There were several deficiencies which were pointed out which were very long outstanding so this idea that Works and Engineering had signed off and everything was OK is wrong."

Mr. DeVent said his Ministry is looking at making the tendering process for Government contracts easier although he denied it was because of the Berkeley situation.

"We are looking at putting jobs out on the internet, we are looking to make the tendering process with Works and Engineering a lot more accessible than it was before."