–building almost 60 per cent complete, Minister Benn says

CONSTRUCTION of a new headquarters for the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is progressing according schedule, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has said.
The minister, in an invited comment on the sidelines of a recent event, said the actual structure at Homestretch Avenue is 60 per cent completed.

The new headquarters, which costs some $648 million, will see the current Central Fire Station relocated from its Stabroek Market location to the new facility which sits on three and a half acres of land.
The expected deadline for completion of the project is April 2023, but is likely to be completed ahead of time.

Providing an update on the project, Benn said that there is still some more construction and internal works to be done on the building.
He added that he had visited the construction site three times and did a walk-through with the awarded contractor, Mohamed’s Enterprise

“I’m satisfied with the progress and the quality of work so far,” Minister Benn said.
In January last year, he unveiled plans to move the fire service’s headquarters from the congested Stabroek Market location to Homestretch Avenue.

The relocation will ensure easier access and accommodate new fire-fighting equipment and resources being procured.
The contract for the construction was awarded last November, following the allocation of some $1.9 billion in the national budget that year to enhance the capacity of the Guyana Fire Service.