Public Works Ministry introduces system to track works, contractors’ bonds,

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 January 2021, 16:31 by Denis Chabrol

The Ministry of Public Works has put in place a system to track the completion of infrastructural works by contractors and ensure that bonds do not expire and the works are not finished, Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud said Wednesday.

He made the disclosure while he was being questioned by the House bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC) about a section of the East Coast Demerara public road that had been maintained by private contractors through the ministry’s Works Services Group.

Agreeing with government committee member, Gail Teixeira that there needs to be “stringent supervision” of  projects in keeping with the laws, Mr. Persaud said an electronic project management system was now in place based on the findings in the 2016 Auditor General’s report.  He said that system would enable the Public Works Ministry to  monitor bonds to ensure they are not expired and  and could be levied on due to bad project execution.

“One of the main reasons why we have now implemented this electronic project management tracking system is to aid in minimising and to a large extent not just minimising but to complete eliminate situations whereby bonds are expired and we are not able to act ib but also to have better supervision of the projects,” the Permanent Secretary said.

Mr. Persaud said the Ministry of Public Works would be willing to share the tracking system after it is fully tested.