Expanded mandate for NDIA
The NDIA buildings that were constructed in GuySuCo’s LBI Estate, ECD compound.
The NDIA buildings that were constructed in GuySuCo’s LBI Estate, ECD compound.

…Holder to seek $24B in national budget

WITH an expanded mandate on the horizon, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on Friday commissioned a spanking new headquarters at a cost of $107.3M in GuySuCo’s La Bonne Intention (LBI) Estate, East Coast Demerara (ECD) compound.

The LBI compound currently houses the following GuySuCo operations: head office; Agriculture Research Centre Laboratories; the Information Systems Department; Materials Management Department; and Training Facilities and Staff Club.

In his feature address, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder said in the first quarter of 2017, it was the ministry’s intention to develop 250 acres of the LBI compound for the establishment of several government facilities. These facilities he said, include: the conversion of the Agricultural Research Centre Laboratories into the National Soil and Tissue Analytics Laboratories; the head office of the NDIA; head office of the Guyana Rice Development Board; head office of the Guyana Marketing Corporation; Guyana’s milk-processing facility and finally, the site for the Ministry of Education’s Caribbean Development Fund Hospitality Institute.

Minister Holder said it was also decided in 2017 that the Special Purpose Unit (SPU) and its international financial service provider, Price WaterhouseCooper, will also be located in two buildings in the LBI compound. Adding that the NDIA is responsible for strategic planning, investment, operations, maintenance and monitoring of all drainage and irrigation in Guyana, Minister Holder said this impacts and affects every sub-sector in the agriculture sector and from January,1, 2019, the NDIA will be responsible for primary irrigation in declared and undeclared drainage areas.

He further explained that in 2019, the NDIA will be requesting $24 Billion in the national budget to ensure its operations are fully covered. Further, the minister noted that with the concentration of agricultural agencies in one location, there will be ample opportunities for collaboration, coordination and consultation on issues of drainage and irrigation.

The NDIA buildings that were constructed in GuySuCo’s LBI Estate, ECD compound.

Meanwhile, recently appointed CEO of GuySuCo, Dr. Harold Davis Jr., who is also chairman of the NDIA Board of Directors, welcomed the move by the authority, adding that GuySuCo has a range of facilities that will be beneficial to the NDIA. “GuySuCo has a long-standing history with the NDIA, which has demonstrated fruitful outcomes over the years. “We [GuySuCo] have a number of facilities and testing labs that will be made available to NDIA to better serve and add to the needs of efficient service to Guyana. With this expected move to LBI, we look forward to greater synergies with the drainage authority as they utilise all the necessary facilities that GuySuCo has to offer.” Dr. Davis Jr. said.

The new CEO also stated that as part of his new revitalisation plan for the corporation, GuySuCo will be modernising the three remaining estates which are the production centres. This will entail transforming infrastructure, agricultural and other practices and retooling factories. One of the key focus areas for the corporation will be to increase GuySuCo’s competitiveness with the production of high-value sugars – plantation white and direct consumption. Chief Executive Officer of NDIA, Fredrick Flatts, said that a total of $107.3M was spent on works to ensure the buildings were up to standard. “Four buildings were refurbished and one generator room was constructed. We had five different contactors working on the project to ensure it was done to our specifications. The staff have all expressed satisfaction with the works and the move and we foresee NDIA being here for decades.” Flatts said.

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