CONTRACTORS in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) have been warned to ensure that they inspect and control the quality of their work, since substandard work will no longer be tolerated.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six, Dr Veerasammy Ramayya, said he has found a number of cases wherein contractors are apparently not qualified for their task or are not doing enough supervision to ensure desired quality.

He mentioned a recent situation at Kildonan Primary School, where substandard material was used by a contractor with the result that the work has already deteriorated.
“I had complaints from the headmistress. Myself and Mr Harbhajan of the Office of the Prime Minister went there. The contractor that the region gave the job to used inferior quality woods to build the windows; the concrete work that he did caused the drainage system to collapse, so it’s now restricting water from running out from the school…there were other defects.”

Dr Ramayya said he personally had to contact the contractor and demand that corrective works be done before he could be paid.

“I went to Skeldon Hospital; again, the same contractor. He built the septic tank of very poor quality; he left all the dirt around it. He didn’t seem to know what he was doing.”

Dr Ramayya charged that some of the contractors deliberately use cheap materials so that they can make maximum profits out of the contract.

“When they use substandard materials, in six months the work deteriorates, and then you have to go to tender for the same work all over again.”

He said he had warned contractors not to paint any wood before it had been certified as greenheart, and they should, in certain works, tar the entire board, and not only that which is above the water.

He wondered aloud: “I don’t know how some of these works get passed for payments. I preached against this type of cheating of the government for 24 years or more on TV, and now as REO I am experiencing it firsthand. So this now has to stop.”

At Kildonan, after listening to the concerns raised by Headteacher Sonia Williams, Harbhajan contacted Regional Education Officer Volica Jaikisiun, and she assured him that the issues would be addressed.

The matters include the need for more furniture and the provision of a computer lab, as well as an upgrade of the washroom facilities at the primary school.