The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) yesterday signed off on nine capital contracts worth over $760 million including a fire station at Wales, West Bank Demerara.
A release from MoHA said that its Permanent Secretary, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas signed the contracts which included projects for the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, and the Guyana Fire Service, amounting to a total of $760,236,592. The signing took place in the ministry’s boardroom and was attended by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Deputy Commissioner ‘Operations’(Ag), Ravindradat Budhram; Director of Prisons (Ag), Nicklon Elliot; and Chief Fire Officer (Ag), Gregory Wickham, along with other staff and invitees.
According to the release, the projects for the Guyana Police Force include the construction of command centres in regions Two, Five, Six, and Ten, to the tune of over $129.5 million. The Com-mand Operation Centres will facilitate the expansion of the safe city to the safe country project. This will allow for the monitoring of CCTV cameras in the regions stated.
For the Guyana Prison Service, over $145 million was allotted for the construction of senior officers living quarters and a security fence, both at the Lusignan Prison. Some $485.6 million will be expended to construct a fire station at Wales, and for the procurement of 148 fire hydrants and five additional firefighting vehicles.
The construction of the new Wales fire station, Benn noted, apart from its geographical area, is an indication of staying ahead of the curve and staying cognizant of the developments resulting from the budding oil and gas industry and the intended construction of the gas-to-shore project in that area. In addition he noted that the acquisition of five new firefighting vehicles will allow for comprehensive coverage not only in the urban areas and on the coast, but also at some critical interior locations.
Benn encouraged the successful contracting companies to deliver all projects on time, with the correct specifications and quality. “We want timely delivery, we want quality delivery’, he asserted.
The minister also emphasised the importance of the use of safety gear and encouraged the contractors to follow all safety measures at the worksites for themselves and workers. ‘We don’t want industrial accidents’, he stated.
