-but gov’t determined to make maximum use of facilities
LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud admitted recently that the administration has been “a little bit slow in 2011 in addressing occupancy” of several of the tarmacs that were constructed at a cost of millions of dollars. Constructed months and even years ago, many of these tarmacs are still not in use, and some officials have been blaming this on stallholders’ unwillingness to relocate their businesses.
Speaking at a Local Government Ministry news conference at its Fort Street, Kingston offices last week, Minister Persaud sought to point out that the tarmacs are in use, but many are not being used for the purpose intended.
“Some of them are in varying stages of preparation, particularly those that were described as market tarmacs,” he said, adding that the ministry has responded positively to requests coming from the vending community for permission to remain in their present location for the festive season.
“Now that that has passed, the ministry is committed to directing its focus so that optimum, maximum use can be made of the tarmacs which were constructed,” he said. 
Speaking with this newspaper on the issue recently, Julius Faerber, Chairman of Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), said the regional administration “cannot put the tarmacs in use at present” because of certain problems being encountered.
Questioned on these problems, Faerber would only say that the problem lies with stallholders who do not wish to relocate because they fear losing business.
Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), Mr. Donald Gajraj, said in an invited comment that the tarmacs in his jurisdiction were never meant for everyday use.
He insisted that they were all occupied, and that portable stalls operated there, so that after business, stallholders would remove their structures. He said the tarmacs are used for purposes other than for business.
The idea behind construction of the tarmacs was to ease roadway congestion and halt roadside vending.
Government officials have reported that the only tarmac fully in use at present is the one at Charity, on the Essequibo Coast. The tarmac situation has been described as something that the Local Government Ministry is still “grappling” with.
Former Local Government Minister Mr. Kellawan Lall had signed contracts, on October 12, 2009, for construction of tarmacs at Enmore, East Coast Demerara; Phoenix Park, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara; and De Willem, West Coast Demerara, with contractors who had given the undertaking that the job would have been completed in three months.
The Enmore contract was awarded to K.B. and B. Contractors from De Hoop, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara; the 77-metre by 62-metre structure cost $29,130,688. The contract for the tarmac at De Willem went to Eagle Transportation and General Construction Limited at a cost of $7,984,735; and the tarmac at Phoenix Park, Pouderoyen, was constructed by Annirud Ramcharitar at a cost of $29,983,250.
Last August, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) accepted bids in relation to the construction of another market tarmac at Mahaica. The old market will reportedly be demolished to facilitate the tarmac, which has an estimated engineer’s cost of in excess of $85M.
Contracts were again been signed last week for the construction of tarmacs at Mabaruma and Moruca.
Construction of the tarmac at Mabaruma was awarded to Joshi Construction and Transportation Establishment of First Street, De Willem, West Coast Demerara at a cost of $37,116,160.
Satar Mohamed and Son Construction and Hardware Supplies, of West Reliance Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, secured the contract for the construction of the Moruca tarmac, to the tune of $34,946,650. The duration of both contracts is 16 weeks.