“WE ARE called as engineers to position ourselves in Guyana and be good for Guyana.”

These were the sentiments of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who delivered the feature address at the opening of the fifth annual engineering conference, which was held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, yesterday.The conference brought together a wide range of local and international experts in these fields as well as several other engineering professionals, contractors, consultants and engineering students.
The one-day annual engineering conference is traditionally the premier forum for the presentation of new ideas in the various domains of engineering, including transportation engineering (land, water and air), architectural engineering, traffic and highway engineering, coastal, river defence engineering and energy engineering, among other areas.
The theme for this year’s one-day conference was “Defending Guyana’s Development with Engineering Solutions.”
According to the prime minister, a chemical engineer himself, the theme is both challenging and provoking.

He said, “The theme is no doubt intended to challenge and provoke…it urges our engineers to take the baton of Guyana’s development forward….it calls for a contribution, for the taking up of responsibility, the applying of oneself to the work at hand of building Guyana with the resources and people at hand, with the materials, the knowledge, the equipment, the practices, the enthusiasm,” he said.
Hinds acknowledged that the task of development is not one that is without its challenges; however, he underscored the fact that engineering solutions are intended to meet the needs of society by providing solutions to these challenges.
Among the issues discussed yesterday were: value for money in the construction sector; an improved approach to achieving infrastructural development; public transportation reform; a practical approach to road safety; a multi-sectoral approach to air transportation; air accident prevention; efficient project risk management in the local construction sector; chemical stabilisation of soil; developing Guyana’s coastline through the use of geo-tube and hallow pre-cast concrete; coastal protection; and current practices and interventions for sea and river defense in Guyana, among others.
These, the prime minister said, are reflective of the challenges that Guyana faces and he expressed optimism that progress will be made as cost effectiveness, efficiency in local operations, as well as the transfer of skills among engineers continue.
Also addressing the gathering of hundreds during the opening session was Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, whose ministry coordinated the conference.
He stressed that the work of engineers is critical to the growth of development of the country as a whole and pointed to what he termed “critical national imperative” projects.
Among the undertakings he named were the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, the Amaila Falls Hydro Power (AFHP) project and the “practically completed” access road; and the roads- expansion projects in different parts of the country.
Benn bemoaned the fact that too often the national debate on development undertakings deters young professionals from becoming involved; however, he made clear that irrespective of one’s political persuasion, the “critical national imperative” projects must continue.

“We (the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Administration) will remain solidly behind these projects,” he assured, “These are things that have to be done.”
The Public Works Minister highlighted the strains on the current infrastructure, with the impacts of climate change and the pace of growth, and reiterated the necessity of the national imperative projects.
In response to these challenges, Benn acknowledged the successes of partnerships with development partners in facilitating the necessary interventions.
“The fact is that we must respond,” he said, adding that the guaranteed success of such venture depends on the engineering solutions.
Optimizing the expenditure of resources, getting value for money and working smart, the minister stated, has to be the maintained focus going forward.
“We have to be able to pass on a better life than we ourselves have had,” Benn stressed.
At the end of the opening, the participants of yesterday’s conference were engaged in a number of technical sessions, which featured presentations on a number of ongoing local developmental projects and provided participants with the opportunity to interact with the presenters and policy makers in these fields.
The general consensus from yesterday’s conference was that partnerships are important to advancing the development of Guyana and all Guyanese must make their contributions to this task. (Vanessa Narine)