You are the Contract Manager of the Engineer in a hotel project. In May 2020, the Employer and the Contractor signed a Contract based on the FIDIC Yellow Book (edition 2017), as per which the Contractor will design and build a hotel project with Contract Price of 5,100,000 USD. The Time for Completion for this project is 12 months (May 2021). The Contract also named a nominated Subcontractor (as referred to in Sub-Clause 4.5) who provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services for the project (including the fire fighting system), which was accepted by the Contractor without any discussions.
The Project was delayed due to issues with the fire fighting system, and you issued the Taking-Over Certificate in June 2022.
The Employer sent a Notice of Claim to the Contractor on Delay Damages with a maximum value equal to 10% of Contract Price (510,000 USD). The Employer also gave a Notice to the Contractor stating that the Contractor has failed to submit the evidence of payment to the nominated Subcontractor as well as the reason for withholding payment to the nominated Subcontractor. Therefore, the Employer has paid the nominated Subcontractor directly the entire amount due, coming to 100,000 USD. The Employer intends to include this amount as a deduction in the Final Payment to the Contractor.
As Contract Manager of the Engineer, you are tasked to make a fair determination of the Notices of the Employer. In your "Notice of the Engineer's determination", what is your determination for the deduction of the next Interim Payment to the Contractor in relation to the amount directly paid to the nominated Subcontractor?
Micronesia