Contract Variation Costs met by the Flemish Department for Maritime Access

Dutch speaking chamber on September 10, 2013

The Flemish Department for Maritime Access (AMT) has paid an extra 28.7 million Euros as a result of variations to 36 existing public works contracts. This represents 17.4% of the amount of the original tenders. In other words, the cost of the works increased on average by the same percentage. In some contracts, the variations seemed justified, e.g. due to unforeseen events. However, in about two thirds of the files under scrutiny of the Court, the variations resulted from a poor preparation of the contracts. Default interests remained limited, which shows that the AMT manages the variations rather promptly.