The agriculture ministry on Monday signed 10 contracts valued $381M under the Agricultural Support Services Programme and the Agricul-ture Export Diversification Programme.
At the ceremony Minister Robert Persaud said the ministry had been exposed to a “mixed bag of contractors” and as such contractors who submit projects of inferior quality risk being blacklisted by government. He said too this measure will also be taken against contractors who derail the tender board process, breach procedure and offer incentives in return for favours.
The minister also said citizens must be more proactive in ensuring that projects are carried out in the most accountable manner. “I want to reiterate that all contracts are available for monitoring by concerned citizens once they are willing to photocopy the documents…Our intention is to erase the perception that government agencies are condoning these substandard projects,” he said. He added that the ministry has already detected some instances of irregularity and intends to follow up with appropriate police action.
The contracts signed are for the construction of an access road and bridge, option one: works asphalt concrete road and reinforced concrete bridge to the Genetic and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories at Mon Repos at a cost of $74,743,320. The contractors are DIPCON Engineering Services Limited and the supervisory consultant is ASDU and the project is expected to last six months. The second contract is for the rehabilitation of the Guyana Livestock Development Board Building at a cost of $57,595,602. The contractors are Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services and the supervisory consultant: E&A Consultants Inc at a cost of $2,086,666. The project is expected to last four months.
The third contract is for Lot 5 (a) – Golden Grove, Craig Milne/Victoria and Cane Grove Electrical Pump Stations at a cost of $161,420,000. The contractors are Harrychand Tulsi and the project is expected to last 10 months. The supervisory consultant is to be awarded. GINA said Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services has also been awarded the contract to rehabilitate the NDIA office at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara at a cost of $27,966,836. The supervisory consultant is the ASDU and the project is set to last four months.
Contracts have also been awarded for the supply of goods and equipment. Farm Supplies (Guyana) has been awarded a contract to supply a Mechanical Seed Dryer to Lot 6 for the Burma Rice Research Station at a cost of $15,801,200. Western Scien-tific Company Limited of Trinidad and Tobago has been awarded an $18,718,378 contract to supply and deliver Inspection Equipment for the Food and Drugs Department and Veterinary Public Health Unit. IPA Healthcare (Guyana) has been given a similar contract. This contract is valued $12,157,773. Additionally, CCS Guyana Limited has been given a $2,150,154 contract to supply, deliver and install nine pieces of audio visual equipment and a $5,220,000 contract to supply, deliver and install six photocopy machines.
