WASHINGTON — The five-story Afghan Ministry of Defense Headquarters in Kabul costs three times the original estimate of $48.7 million to build, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction has found.
Because of "problems with the contract from the outset," John Sopko calculated the cost to finish the building rose to $154.7 million and took well over the 18 months expected to finish the construction. Sopko attributes the balooned price tag to the Afghan National Army refusing to let the US contractor, ITSI, have access to the site for "about a year."
And "other delays, such as weather, security and funding issues, emerged," a SIGAR report released Thursday states.
Ultimately, the construction took almost five years longer to complete than the anticipated 18 months, Sopko wrote.
The Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) transferred the building to the MoD on Dec.28, 2015, the report noted, but as of Jan. 7 the building was not fully occupied.
SIGAR found the building was "well-built" but there were still "several construction issues," including issues that could affect the building's ability to withstand an earthquake or a significant amount of rain.
"These include issues with building separation joints needed for seismic activity, lateral bracing of equipment needed for seismic activity, inadequate roof drains to remove storm water, and stairway handrails that were installed below the required height," the report said.
The commanding general of CSTC-A should assess the building's structural integrity related to the separation joints and decide whether there is a need to install further bracing elements to strengthen the building's ability to hold up to seismic activity, Sopko said, as well as install better roof drainage.
Email: jjudson@defensenews.com
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Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.
