Contract awarded for $414M sea sluice at D’ Edward
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, April21, 2018
Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited has been awarded a contract for the construction of a four-door sea sluice at a cost of $414.6M for the Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA/ADA).
The sluice is to be built at D’ Edward Village, West Bank Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice). E&A Consultants Incorporated was awarded a $16M contract to supervise the works.
Courtney Benn and Ansha Ally of E&A Consultants Incorporated signed their respective contracts in the boardroom of the MMA/ADA at Onverwagt West Coast Berbice, on April 20.
MMA/ADA General Manager Aubrey Charles signed on behalf of the authority in the presence of Board Member, Kelvin Saul, MMA/ADA Manager for Drainage and Irrigation Services Mahendranath Ramjit, MMA/ADA Civil Engineer Navendra Raghoo and MMA/ADA Accountant Leyland Bacchus.
Benn said that the project will be completed within eighteen months. He also pledged that his company will utilise as much labour from the West Berbice area as possible.
Signing on behalf of his company Courtney Benn (second from left); on behalf of MMA/ADA, Aubrey Charles (centre) and on behalf of E&A Consultants Incorporated CEO, Ansha Ally (third right)
The MMA/ADA, General Manager explained that the new sluice will enhance drainage of all residential areas and agricultural lands along the coast between the Abary and Berbice Rivers which is the Abary/Berbice Sub-Region of Region Five. “The Government realises the potential for agricultural production in Region Five and as such was positive in its response for the construction of this sluice, which will boost farmers’ confidence in the drainage system and encourage them to be more productive”, Charles said.
He disclosed that the new sluice will be constructed adjacent to the old three-door sluice currently at D’Edward, which had lost its efficiency after decades of service.
Plans by the Government to fund construction of the four-door sluice were first disclosed by Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder last year.
The contract for the design of the sluice was awarded by the MMA/ADA to SRKN engineering in May 2017 and was completed within an 84-day time frame paving the way for the tendering for bidders for construction and consultancy and the awards which were formalised Friday.
By: Clifford Stanley