Following a request by Stabroek News, the Ministry of Housing and Water has released the names of the awardees of nearly $14b worth of contracts in the housing and infrastructure sectors and a number of contractors have clinched multiple awards.
The contracts were signed on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre but it does not appear as if the media were invited. On Thursday Stabroek News asked the Ministry of Housing and Water for the information and it was released.
Four infrastructure contracts each were signed with Khemraj Nauth Contracting Services ($771m), Colin Talbot Contracting Service ($665m) and Annirud Ramcharitar Construction firm ($475m). The awarding of multiple large contracts at the same time has raised questions in the past about whether the contractors would be capable of executing all of the projects in a timely and efficient manner.
Some contractors in the housing sector also secured multiple contracts. Gafsons Industries Limited clinched 25 contracts at a total value of $460m.
According to the ministry, infrastructural works will be conducted in regions Three, Four, Five and Six. Communities to benefit from these works include Anna Catherina, Cornelia Ida, Edinburgh, Meten-Meer-Zorg, and Stewartville in Region Three; Mon Repos, Vigilance, Bladen Hall, Strathspey, La Bonne Intention, Cummings Lodge, Great Diamond, Little Diamond, Prospect, and Providence in Region Four; Experiment in Region Five; and Williamsburg, Hampshire, Number 79 Village, Number 75 Village, and Ordinance, in Region Six. The total cost for these works is $12,018,879,315.
Infrastructural works were awarded under 68 contracts to 37 contractors. It was noted that four infrastructural works projects have to be retendered. These works are designated for Vigilance, Bladen Hall, Strathspey, Cummings Lodge, and Great Diamond in Region Four. One infrastructural work project for Meten-Meer-Zorg in Region Three is waiting for the contract to be awarded.
Meanwhile, the ministry also said that a total of 290 housing units will be constructed in Region Four – 190 elevated two-bedroom housing units in Cummings Lodge, and 100 flat two-bedroom housing units in Prospect. The total cost for these projects is $1,828,000,000 and 122 contracts were awarded to 14 contractors.
Other works include the construction of reinforced concrete drains in Providence and Annandale in Region Four, and Goed Fortuin in Region Three. Pipe works will be undertaken from Farm to Covent Garden in Region Four. Some $139,121,556 will be spent on these works. Nine contracts were awarded to 4 contractors.
