38,000 in 16 schemes to get lights for Christmas

Jul 19, 2017 News

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will be rolling out its 2017 Electrification Programme to install the infrastructure so that 38,000 residents across Guyana can receive electricity.

CH&PA CEO, Lelon Saul

This plan was explained yesterday by Chief Executive Officer of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul, at the entity’s Brickdam office. The communities to benefit are Onderneeming in RegionTwo; Zeelugt in Region Three; for Region Four there are Farm, Covent Garden, Diamond, Eccles, Perseverance, Barnwell and Peter’s Hall on the East Bank of Demerara along with Paradise and Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara.
Hope/Experiment in Region Five; Kilcoy/Chesney in Region Six and Bartica for Region Seven ae he beneficiaries. Some of these communities have been without electricity for close to five years now. The cost of the entire project is pegged at $471M.
Saul said that the programme comprises three sub-components. Component one entails the procurement of electrical line hardware inclusive of transformers and conductors. The second component will require the procurement of wallaba poles and the third component will concern the procurement of works.
The CEO offered additional details saying that the electrical line hardware will be sourced from China. Saul said that to date, 30 per cent of the mobilisation payment has been disbursed and supplies are scheduled to be delivered by the end of October 2017.
He said that the transformers are being sourced from Colombia. Similarly, 30 per cent of the mobilisation payment has been expended and delivery is expected by September month end.
As it relates to the conductors, the contractors are Dynamic Engineering and Power Lite Products, a local contractor who would be sourcing material out of Trinidad and Tobago. Supplies are to be delivered by September.
Moreover, for the supply of the Wallaba poles, this procurement has been split into 15 lots. Saul said that the evaluation report was submitted since April 2017 to NPTAB for award but was only on Friday July 7, 2017 that Cabinet granted its no-objection.
“As such, the supply of Wallaba poles to these 16 areas has been delayed by six weeks. Nevertheless, contracts are currently being prepared to be signed and a mobilisation advance of 30 per cent will be paid by the end of this month.”
If the schedule is maintained, Saul said that by September, the poles are expected to be delivered and planted.
As it relates to the final component, Saul said that it requires the installation of line hardware and upon completion will provide electricity to the areas. Saul said that based on a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) signed between the CH&PA and the Guyana Power and Light, only pre-qualified electrical contractors provided by GPL can be used to build the networks.
GPL will also play a role in supervising the installation of the electrical network in keeping with the standards of GPL.
Saul said that it is anticipated that the programme will be completed by the beginning of December 2017. Residents from a number of communities had questioned when electricity will be provided, he said.
He explained that it is the remit of CH&PA to provide this kind of infrastructure and utility for communities which come under its control. He said that when persons acquire house lots from CH&PA, they are receiving a package and therefore it is the Authority’s responsibility to ensure that all utilities are provided.
When this is done, the communities will be handed over to the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils or Municipalities and the utilities to the respective entities, whether GPL or the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).