… AAG hints at important changes to layout of synthetic track

DECEMBER of this year will mark two years since construction to the synthetic track in Berbice at Burnham Park has started and from the looks of things, projecting a completion date would be highly incorrect.

Yesterday, Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, in the company of executives of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), toured the facility and while both were pleased with the work done so far, Ramson was not satisfied with the amount of work done over the past two years.
“I’m not satisfied because it’s behind time,” Ramson candidly told reporters after wrapping up his visit to the facility.
“I can’t say if they’re over budget or under budget. I obviously know that work had stopped here (in New Amsterdam) several times. So we can’t have a situation where contractors are being paid to do a job and the job is to be completed at ‘X’ time and it’s not being done,” Ramson noted.

Under the APNU+AFC coalition Government, whose 2015 Campaign promise is being manifested in the track in Berbice and Linden, awarded the contract to construct the facility in the Ancient County to BK International to the sum of $141.86M.

The end of 2019 was given as an estimated time for the project to be completed, Project Manager Lionel Kandasammy at the time had stated.
While Ramson did not lament on the delay, he did however acknowledge a number of factors, specifically the advent of COVID-19 that could’ve contributed.
However, he stressed that “it becomes too cozy of a situation where excuses are being made for contracts not being fulfilled according to design.”

HOLDING CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE
Ramson further reasoned that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government had campaigned on a platform of accountability and as such,, as Minister of Sport, he intends to fulfil those promises.
“As the government we have to ensure that we have value for our money too. We have to ensure that there isn’t a lot of leakage for money going in different directions and projects not being completed on time.

“So even though we haven’t been aggressive in terms of getting to the bottom of these types of projects, it is something that needs to be done in the point of view of accounting to the people what has been spent, what needs to be spent, how quickly can it be done and how long it’s behind time,” Ramson said.
Meanwhile, president of the AAG, who was accompanied by his vice-president Amanda Hermonstine, council members Niall Stanton, Keith Campbell and Buster Wright, told Chronicle Sport that yesterday marked his first visit to the facility.

Huston said the AAG was not consulted on the design or layout for the track and they’re appreciative of being given the opportunity by the minister to have a ‘say’.
“We would’ve spoken to them about some concerns we had and about them going ahead and doing stuff without proper consultation with us (the AAG) and even up to now we’re seeing some stuff showing up that this current minister had to talk about. For example where my FAT Cameras (fully automatic time, used for photo finish) got to go, it might conflict with the long jump pit,” Hutson said.

Asked if the changes might further set back the completion of the facility, Hutson said, “It’s a work in progress and for me, I mean, we were in Linden with Dr (Aubrey) Norton when they were discussing setting up the track, and after that, we got a word with him, the project coordinator Ms (Melissa) Dow-Richardson when work had already started and we spoke extensively about the long jump area not being on the curve, which they agreed that they were going to change.

“But now when we see the long jump (in Berbice), it’s encroaching too much on the finish line area and they will have to make some kind of adjustments.”
Huston called the construction of the facilities in Linden and Berbice “a work in progress” while adding that in the end, he’s happy that athletics can finally see true development of the abundance of talent in Guyana.

Following this year’s National Budget, $2.7B was allocated for the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, for which $805.3M is for sport.
Additionally, $185M was allocated for the National Sports Commission to accelerate works on the synthetic tracks in Regions 6 and 10, as well as the purchase of sports gear and ground enhancements.