WITH half of the year already gone, there is now less than 50% of the total number of Public Sector Investment Projects (PSIP) completed, and contractors currently working on government capital projects are being urged to get up to speed.

This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill during an interview with this newspaper, as he referred specifically to ongoing works on bridges, culverts and road extensions across the country.
The government is expressing concern that many of the projects being worked on by various contractors are behind schedule and in some cases the time frame for the funding of certain projects may come to an end without the actual works being completed.
And should that happen it will put the government in a difficult situation while many Guyanese across the divide will be affected since the projects being executed countrywide are interlinked and go hand in hand.
In that light, contractors who are now executing works on government contracts are being called upon to put their house in order and deliver all projects on time or face penalties stipulated in their contracts with respect to delays, Edghill said.
And beginning tomorrow, there will be visits to construction sites where contractors are working on projects awarded by the government.
WORKING AT NIGHT
Edghill is urging all contractors to find the resources, be it human, machinery or otherwise, to deliver the work on time and without any further delays since it is inconveniencing the people of the nation. He also suggested working at night to ensure that deadlines are met.
Critical to these ongoing works especially the road works, according to the minister, is the need to facilitate the heavy machinery and other road vehicles which use the roadways which wooden bridges and featherweight roads cannot accommodate.
Meanwhile, the final figure for the Public Sector Investment Projects at the moment is GYD$85.6 Billion and of that figure, GYD$34.8 billion is provided through foreign funding while GYD$50.8 billion represents the input from the Government of Guyana.
Edghill pointed to the building and repairing of schools, extension of roads, construction of bridges, shoring up and other works on sea defense, constructing and repairing of sporting facilities and other works that are all being brought under the microscope of the Guyana Government with respect to monitoring and timely completion.
While not getting into much detail with respect to costs and logistics, the minister told this newspaper that one of their biggest problems with respect to road development and upgrades is the relocation and navigating of the utilities within the path of construction and upgrades.
With respect to the road works, Minister Edghill pointed to the presence of pipe lines, phone lines and utility poles, etc.
Most of the government’s problem with respect to delays and construction seems to be with the road works. The minister while again not wanting to get into much detail, said that contractors are complaining that they are often placed on the back foot when they have to wait on answers from persons who have the power to say yes or no whenever there is a change in design of a road or bridge.
This however is being looked at the level of the various players involved in the projects and should be sorted out within a few days’ time.
In the meantime, Edghill is sending a very strong warning to contractors that they should not be taking jobs which they know there is an inability on their part to complete in a timely manner.