A new army base, costing $23.8 million, is to be built at Anna Regina, Essequibo, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon.
At his weekly press conference yesterday, Luncheon also announced that the army’s air corps will have some maintenance work done to the tune of US$127,247 ($25.4 million). The wharf at the army’s Ruimveldt Coast Guard headquarters will also be extended and Cabinet has awarded $25.6 million for this purpose.
And the pre-paid electricity meter system may soon become a reality, as cabinet has awarded some $1.1 million for the implementation of this pilot project. Monies were also awarded for the procurement 1,106 instrument transformers for the Guyana Power and Light Inc to the tune of $88.8 million. The power company was also awarded $143.9 million for the purchase of service conductors and line hardware.
Meanwhile, Luncheon said money was also awarded for the procurement for antenatal sprinkles, which are vitamin supplements for prenatal and immediate post-natal mothers, to the tune of US$190,553.
Cabinet also awarded a number of awards in the housing and water sector which will see the instillation of a pure water network Parfait Harmony, West Bank Demerara, to the tune of $48.7 million. Upgrades to the water distributions systems in Regions Two, Three and Five will done after cabinet awarded $180.9 million for these to be done.
According to Luncheon there will also be the rehabilitation of the water distribution main in Cummings Lodge to the tune of $31.1 million along with the procurement of sewerage pumps, motors and spares for the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) to the tune of US$422,560.
A contract was awarded for consultancy for telecommunication reform in Guyana. The consultancy was described as a comprehensive one “intended to look at the institution… in its entirety coming from importation of equipment… usage of equipment, supervision, the regulation of the sector. And then looking at the legislative aspect comprehensively putting in place regulations to deal with different categories of users and operators…” The consultancy may end in 2010 and it should result in a “fairly usual modern plan implementation will be presented [to] the administration that would take… all aspects of the sector into 2010.” Luncheon said that in that year those recommendations that would be have been endorsed by the administration would be implemented.
A transhipment terminal will be constructed at Christiansburg, Linden, to the tune of $51.2 million.
