-Minister Manickchand tells contractors working on UG projects

MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Wednesday, visited the University of Guyana (UG)’s Turkeyen Campus to get a first-hand look at several government-funded projects that are behind schedule. Three of the projects are being executed at Turkeyen campus, while another is being carried out at the university’s Tain Campus in Berbice. Together, they amount to $490 million. At the Turkeyen Campus, the three projects are for the construction of a Pump House, costing $24 million; the construction of a new Admin/Bursary building costing $168 million; and the overhauling of the campus’ entire sewage system at a cost of $282.9 million. The project at the Tain Campus involves the construction of a Medex building, to the tune of $48.8 million. All of the projects were awarded in 2019, and had various completion dates which have since elapsed. Work on the Pump House project is said to be 85 percent complete thus far, while only 33 percent of the Admin/Bursary building has been completed. Only 15% of the work on the sewage system has been completed.

Minister Manickchand was accompanied on her visit by UG Vice Chancellor, Dr. Paloma Mohamed and the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alfred King, and Head of the Engineering Department, Ron Eastman. During her visit the minister was able to speak with two of the contractors who were on-site, and firmly explained to them that the ministry is looking for movement that aligns with contractual timelines, and not excuses or delayed works. “When contractors are bidding for things they have to take into consideration all the problems that can go wrong. So when you bid and say you will take ‘x’ amount of time, you have to cater for all of that, which you already know. These are not new issues,” she explained.
She noted that past bugbears such as contractors not meeting deadlines, or changes to contract cost will be seriously addressed going forward.
“There’s a perennial problem with our civil works, of people not finishing on time, and not finishing within the cost. We have reviews upon

reviews [of the project price], and then it becomes unfair, because it means we give it to the contractor who is lower [in price] but by the time the contractor is done with all the reviews or variations you get a contractor who costs more than the contractors who didn’t get the project,” Minister Manickchand expressed.

CONSTANT FLOODING
At the site for the new Admin/Bursary building, Minister Manickchand was able to speak to the contractor, and have him explain the reasons for his delays. She was also provided with an update

on the way forward. The contract for the Admin/Bursary building was awarded in December, 2019, to S and K Construction/Consultancy Services and General Supply. The contract is for a three-storey concrete building, that includes an elevator. Its initial completion date was September 21, 2020. At the site, the company’s Civil Engineer, Shanesh Bridgmohan, explained that the project was set back somewhat due to a change in location of the building, and issues at the new building site. “The building was supposed to be constructed on the site of the existing bursary, but we had a last minute change in location, and eventually decided on this spot here. But we had a lot of difficulties with the foundation, because most of the time after the project was awarded the place was always flooded. It was until after December that we got it off the ground,” Bridgmohan related. He is now projecting a May 2021 completion date.
Commenting on this project, Dr. Mohammed assented that the new location indeed suffered from issues of being inundated. It was noted that measures have since been put in place to rectify that.

NO LAGGING BEHIND

Minister Manickchand said that the ministry understood the challenges faced, but now that the hurdle has been crossed she expects to see works moving apace.
“Your situation here is peculiar because of the change in location so we would give you a couple of months for that, but we need you to work now to push this,” the Minister commented.
The minister further warned the company that it must now honour its new timeline arrangements, and not lag behind. “We are very serious about it. You got it so you have to do what you said you would do. Please make sure this is finished or you’re running into trouble with us, and that would mean financial implications for you as well as how we look at you when you bid for other projects with us,” she said. Meanwhile, regarding the sewage system project, it was revealed that works commenced in January 2021, following a hold up on the commencement order. That project is being executed by S Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services, and is now expected to be completed in November. Explaining the situation that caused the hold-up of the commencement order, Eastman said the contractor has to fulfill several requirements which are sometimes difficult to do.

“In order for us to issue the order of commencement there are a number of logistical processes that the contractor must ensure that is required and committed to. Those requirements include the necessary bond, and insurances for the project that would guide us should any breach occur. Sometimes the contractor may have difficulties in acquiring the bond,” he said.
Speaking to company’s owner Suresh Jagmohan, Minister Manickchand, cautioned that the project is vital to the proper functioning of the university and it must now move ahead with swiftness. UG’s Director of Facilities Maintenance, Bjorn Williams, explained that the university’s current sewage structure is wholly inept to manage the demands of the campus.
“The current sewage system would have been around for as long as the university would have been around. However, the university would have initially catered for 2000 students, when we now have in excess of 8000 students. The system cannot take off that capacity, so works are being done now to have it improved,” Williams informed.
The new sewage system will be one that interconnects all of the washroom facilities on the campus, feeding them into a treatment facility located at the southern end of the compound.