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Housing Ministry threatens to blacklist tardy contractors
Contractors with housing officials and IDB Country Representative, Marco Nicola, yesterday.
– as $852M in contracts signed for roads, drains, water
Government yesterday warned contractors about their quality of work and promised to blacklist them if they fail to produce during the execution of their contracts.
Last year, according to Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) was forced to write the Ministry of Finance’s National Procurement and Tender Board about the performance of several contractors.
The comments came yesterday as the Housing Ministry signed eight contracts for the development of roads, drainage, pure water and other infrastructure works for housing areas across the country.
The $852M worth in contracts is part of the Second Low Income Settlement Programme of Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and will benefit more than 12,000 persons, Ali disclosed.
IDB Country Representative, Marco Nicola, who was present along with contractors at the signing at the Ministry of Housing, Brickdam, yesterday, underscored the long relationship that the bank has had with the Ministry.
In 2007, the first part of the programme had ended with the bank financing areas of land divesture, squatters’ upgrade, road related maintenance and the strengthening of the CH&PA. The second programme signed in April last year will see almost US$28M coming to address housing problems of low income families.
According to Nicola, this programme will develop new housing sites, consolidate existing ones and upgrade squatter areas across the country. Among some new initiatives will be the building of 400 core homes and housing for Amerindians.
The official noted that the programme is also being used as a pilot for the use of country systems in the area of financial management, auditing and treasury with the use of the Audit Office and State Treasury.
“The CH&PA has so far demonstrated the successful use of these country systems and because of this success the bank is moving toward the use of country systems in more of its loans.”
Meanwhile, Minister Ali, pointing out that close relationship of IDB with the current development of the housing sector in Guyana, stressed that Guyana is on target with several of the programmes.
On the issue of projects delivery, timeliness and quality, Ali warned the contractors that there will be no tolerance on their level of performance and those who fail in this phase could face blacklisting in other contracts.
He also urged the contractors not to burden themselves by taking on extra work and then face the possibility of under-performing, since there will be issues of lack of financial and human resources that can hamper the execution of the projects.
“I am taking this opportunity to mention this in front of the IDB because I want you to understand upfront what are the expectations of the programme. We are going to be evaluating you just as we are being evaluated.”
Under the contracts signed, work will be done in Region Six- the Ordnance/Fortlands area- to build roads, drains and structures to the tune of $235M. This will translate to 450 house lots and 2,000 persons benefiting, Ali said.
In Region Three, roads, drainage and structures will also be constructed in parts of Tuschen for $350M. Some 700 house lots will benefit 5,000.
In Lusignan, roads will be upgraded for $64M while in Binky Alley, Lusignan, a pure water distribution network will be built for $30M. At Section D, Sophia, the Ministry inked $190M contracts that will see roads, drains, structures and water network being built to the tune of $190M.
According to Minister Ali, while this part of the programme is targeting Regions Three, Four and Six, contracts for Region Ten and hinterlands areas will be awarded in another two months.
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