$175M in contracts signed for Reg. 5
― second wave of infrastructure projects for 2019 underway
― marks satisfactory progress towards completion of its 2019 work program -REO
― 20% workforce rule to be employed where projects are executed
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, April 3, 2019
The Administration of Region 5, Mahaica-Berbice, has signed agreements with forty contractors to execute infrastructural projects within the region.
The $175M in contracts awarded last week comprised $77M for improving the standards at educational facilities, $69M for construction rehabilitation and maintenance of community and farm to market roads and $29M for upgrades to health facilities.
Regional Executive Officer (REO), Ovid Morrison said that the awards for the second wave of projects, under its work programme for 2019, represent satisfactory progress towards the completion of all its approved regional developmental projects for this year.
According to Morrison, two major projects for educational infrastructure involves renovation works to the long-neglected Bygeval Secondary School at the cost of $11M and the Belladrum Secondary School at a cost $12M.
At the Mahaicony Hospital, $12M has been awarded for the remodelling and extension of the Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre to include an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and male and female wards.
Also, renovations will be carried out at the Strath Campbell Health Centre, located on the East Coast of Demerara, to include a doctor’s office, vaccination room and staff room at the cost of $5M.
Contracts costing $68M were awarded for the construction of new streets, and rehabilitation and maintenance of others public works.
At the signing, Morrison again advised the awardees that they were obligated, under their contracts, to employ at least 20 per cent of skilled and unskilled labour within the communities in which they will be executing the contracts.
In February last, the Administration of Region 5 had issued 30 contractors with contracts for the first wave of infrastructural developmental projects in the region for 2019. The contracts were awarded for the upgrading rehabilitation and construction of community roads at the cost of $105M; for education infrastructure projects valued at $29M and health care improvement projects valued at $19M.
Morrison said the execution of the contracts awarded in February was 80 per cent completed.
In December 2018, $4B was awarded to Mahaica-Berbice by the Central Government for 2019, comprising $382M for public works, $844M for health care, $2B for education and $300M for agriculture.
Story and Images: Clifford Stanley.