Multi-storey gov’t complex 6% complete – govt; opposition demands information on budgeted billion

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 September 2024, 22:15 by Writer

The land preparation for the multi-storey government complex that would be constructed at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Even as opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian, Annette Ferguson on Tuesday insisted that the Public Works Ministry declare the whereabouts of GY$7.6 billion disbursed over the past three years for the construction of a government office complex, the Minister, Juan Edghill, said those had been already addressed in the National Assembly.

Mr Edghill rubbished Ms Ferguson’s claim that after the multi-billion dollar allocation “not one pile has been driven to date” but admitted that 6 percent of the GY$15.8 billion has been completed to date.

The modern multi-storey complex at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, is scheduled to be completed by August 23, 2026, the ministry said.

“The current lack of visible activity on-site does not indicate a slowdown, rather much of the work is currently offsite, with steel being fabricated in factories before being assembled on the location,” the Public Works Ministry attributed to Mr Edghill. The building would be a prefabricated structure. The work completed thus far includes extensive offsite preparations, such as steel fabrication, which are essential for the timely construction of this modern facility, the ministry added.

Referring to the GY$2.6 billion disbursement in 2022, Mr Edghill said that amount was paid as the mobilisation advance and all other payments would be or are made based on “measured deliverables.” No details were provided about how the GY$4 billion in 2023 and the GY$1 billion were or are being spent on the project whose contractor is Caribbean Green Building Inc.

Previously, government had said that the GY$2.6 billion would be used for geotechnical studies, designs and supervisory services. On Tuesday, the Public Works Ministry said stage one of the geotechnical investigation was 100 percent completed and stage two 95 percent completed; the conceptual design was 100 percent completed and the detailed design 25 percent finished.

Records show that the Public Works Minister did not provide clear explanations for the GY$4 billion that was set aside in the 2023 budget for the project whose estimated cost is GY$5 billion more than the original price tag.