SEVERAL contracts for infrastructural works, in line with Government’s development agenda, received Cabinet’s approval this week, at their weekly meeting on Tuesday.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, at his weekly post Cabinet press briefing disclosed the details of the approved contract awards.
Phase Three of the widely lauded transformational project, the National Synthetic Track, located at Leonora, Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/ West Demerara) was one of the contracts that received the go-ahead from Cabinet. The contract is valued at $16.6M.

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
In the 2014 Budget, some $960M was allocated for sports development, monies that are expected to see focus placed on improving the quality of facilities available throughout the country, as well as offering quality programmes in the area of sports for both athletes and officials. Of the $960M, $344M was allocated for continuing works at the Leonora athletic track.
Additionally, Dr. Luncheon disclosed that a $265.9M contract for the upgrading of roads at Belle West, West Bank Demerara, Region 3, was also approved. The contract falls under the Ministry of Housing.

COAST GUARD SCHOOL
In the Public Works sector, a $182.3M contract for the construction of 350 metres of rip-rap river defence was approved. In the same sector, another contract valued at $19.9M for the completion of the Coast Guard training school, located at the mouth of the Demerara River, East Bank Demerara, was also approved.
Under the Ministry of Health, Cabinet approved a contract for $19.3M to facilitate the renovation of houses at Richmond Hill, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara/ Upper Berbice), to be used as doctors’ quarters.
Cabinet also gave the green light for a $42.4M contract for the construction of a storage facility at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, to be used by the Pesticides and Toxic Chemical Control Board (PTCCB).
Contracts above the $15M mark are taken to Cabinet for its statement of no-objection.
Section 54 of the Constitution deals with Cabinet’s involvement in reviewing the award of procurement contracts, as well as the phasing out of its functions with the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC), in the interest of decentralising the procurement process.
Currently, the procurement process is decentralised at the level of ministries, regions, district tender boards and the Ministry of Finance’s tender board.