THE Regional Administration in Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice) has secured the services, on secondment from the LINMINE Secretariat, of Senior Engineer Emmet Alves.
He is to assist with the capacity building of the Engineering and Works Department, which is without a qualified engineer.
Regional Executive Officer (REO), Mr. Henry Rodney, said the skills of Mr. Alves were sought after community complaints about the quality of work.
Rodney said investigations revealed no breach of contract but faulty preparation in the quality and scope of works stipulated for roads, in relation to value for money.
He said the contractors were, basically, doing what they were contracted to do but, having looked at the staff on board, he found none had been trained to the required level.
Rodney said the personnel referred to had worked at the technician level and their capacity was too limited for the mandated responsibility.
“And so we have sought some assistance, with the acquisition of an engineer and, in the interim, President Bharrat Jagdeo has given consent for LINMINE to release Mr. Alves to the Region, mainly to do some on the spot, hands-on training,” the REO explained.
He added: “I am hoping to acquire an engineer from the batch of Cuban graduates, who, I realise, would still need some exposure. So it would be very opportune at this time, as they would have Mr. Alves, with lots of experience, to render that guidance.”
Rodney said the Regional Administration is hoping to have Alves for, maybe, a year and, within a month, benefit from one of the Cuban trained scholarship returnees.
PHOTO saved in Graphics file as Emmet Alves
Linmine Senior Engineer, Emmet Alves, who is seconded to the Regional Administration of Region Ten.