THE Ministry of Home Affairs has officially opened bids for contractors to rebuild the Brickdam Police Station which was ravaged by a fire in 2021.

According to the Invitation For Bids (IFB) issued by the ministry and published by several print and online media platforms, reputable contractors are being sought for the reconstruction of the facility.

Bids for the project are to be submitted no later than June 15, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Committee Bidding (NCB) procedures, specified in the Procurement Act 2003, and Regulations 2004.

Bidders will be required to submit technical and financial proposals, sealed in separate envelopes and labelled accordingly.

The Brickdam Police Station, which housed the Guyana Police Force’s Regional Division 4 ‘A’ Headquarters, went up in flames on October 2, 2021. More than 80 per cent of the structures in the compound was destroyed.

The Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn had provided a detailed breakdown including the unit cost, total cost and quantities of all 79 items that were listed as destroyed as a result of the fire.

The total damages amounted to $104,391,200 with the highest cost being $10.75 million for 43 complete computer sets.

Among the other items destroyed were Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems valued $2.4 million, handcuffs valued $1.56 million, laptop computers amounting to $5 million, body cameras valued $2.5 million and some $7.2 million for copy machines. Also listed as destroyed are 30 air conditioning units valued at $9.6 million, 228 office chairs valued $6.48 million, $2.1 million in video surveillance systems and a $4.5 million minibus.

It was later revealed that the fire, which began in the fraud department which was located on the second floor of the administrative building, was the result of arson. Subsequently, Clarence Greene, 26, who was a prisoner in the lockups at the time of the blaze, was charged for the crime.

Minister Benn had announced in December 2021 that a modern 11-storey police station will be constructed at the location. A $400 million allocation for this project was included in the 2022 National Budget.