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Region Two saves $240M in cautious spending
REO, Rupert Hopkinson
The year 2017 has been yet another year of successful saving for Region Two [Pomeroon Supenaam].
The Regional Administration governing this agricultural Region has saved over $240 Million. According to the Region Two Executive Officer, Rupert Hopkinson, these huge sums of savings were realized through cautious spending, and the prudent awarding of contracts.
Total savings from capital budget 2017, amounted to $118 Million; total savings for current budget 2017, amounted to $131 Million.
One of the amazing benefits of money being saved in a Region, is that additional projects can be implemented. For this year, the Region has implemented 71 additional projects. These projects include repairs to learning institutions and public health buildings, maintenance of all-weather roads, desilting of irrigation channels and even the construction of recreational facilities.
Mr. Hopkinson explained that the tendering of projects, involves a competitive bidding process, which when done according to Tender Board procedure, will most likely result in savings.
In explaining this bidding process, Hopkinson said, “The engineer will first set an estimated price for a project; the contractors will then bid. Our job is to ensure that the project is awarded to the lowest responsive bidder.”
The tender board, in keeping with the relevant tendering procedure, awarded projects only to the lowest responsive bidders. The money between the engineer’s estimate and the lowest bid, was then set aside as savings.
From the year 2016 to 2017, the Region saved in excess of some $400 Million. Savings were also realized through careful spending.
Mr. Hopkinson claims that monies were once being squandered without question, exposing the system to corruption.
“When I first came into the system, the Region was spending $20 million every year to buy lumber. I couldn’t understand why the Region was spending so much money on lumber. I questioned why were we spending so much money, when everything done in maintenance work was done by the contractor?
The following we spent only $4 million on lumber, and that is the average figure we have been allocating since.”
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