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Region Ten contractors highlight concerns in meeting with new CEO

Mar 19, 2018 News

By Enid Joaquin

Recently installed REO of Region Ten Orrin Gordon says that he wants to see people bidding for $203M contracts in Linden and Region Ten, and not just the smaller contracts.
Gordon said that the resources that are coming in to the community are there for the people to maximize and added that the Regional Chairman also is there to see that resources are being maximized.
Gordon added that he wanted to ensure that all projects are out by July.
He was at the time speaking with contractors in Linden in the RDC boardroom on his first day at work last Monday.
MP Jermaine Figuiera congratulated Gordon on his new post and said that he endorsed the position that he had taken.
Figuiera said that the budgetary allocation is not necessarily only to improve infrastructure but to empower people.
RDC Councillor  Charles Sampson pointed out that he was not surprised at the position taken by the REO. He exhorted contractors to read through the lines.
Sampson said that  he knows of contractors who were for years” taking blows.”
“We expect you our local contractors to deliver, because if you don’t you will make us look bad.” Sampson said.
Alluding to the issue of late payments, Gordon acknowledged that it is one of the very limiting issues that gets in the way of contractors’ development. He said it was frustrating and not an issue to be swept under the carpet
Figuiera said that if the Region is taking a radical position, then the contractor has to deliver work that is not just good in their eyes, but in the eyes of the people.
“If we are to enhance the image of the region we got to ensure that the work is quality work…If they say use green heart, use green heart, or you will not be paid.”
With regard to late payments, Sampson said that this seems to be a “sick” in the Region, and asked why payments cannot be made in a timely manner.
One contractor said that he was having a “really rough” time, and queried how he could take a loan if he was not getting jobs. He said he only received one contract for the year.
Another said that even though he is pre-qualified he was not given any contracts last year. Those sentiments were echoed by several other contractors who bemoaned the fact that they were being bypassed for contractors outside of the region.
The contractors had taken the opportunity to congratulate Gordon on his recent appointment and also to voice their concerns as regards the awarding of contracts and the general procedures employed in effecting payments for works executed.
Expressing optimism that things would improve, the contractors  regaled Gordon with stories of the inordinately long time they often have to wait for payments and in some instances being unable to work for months.
The REO was also presented with a letter by one of the contractors outlining their expectations with him at the helm.
The letter spoke to, among other things, about how disenfranchised the contractors felt about the awarding of contracts both at the Regional and National Tender Board levels.
It also alluded to the recent awarding of contracts, valued some $800M, which went to contractors outside of the Region.
Gordon promised that in his capacity as REO, he would ensure that the rest of the monies allocated to Region Ten for infrastructural and other works go to contractors within the Region.
He however admonished the contractors to deliver value for money, lest they embarrass the administration and themselves.
Those sentiments were reiterated by Member of Parliament Jermaine Figuiera who emphasized, “we are not promoting automatic promotion.
Region Ten party chairman  Derron Adams and RDC Councillor Charles Sampson exhorted the contractors…..Don’t let the people down that are empowering you!”
Chairman of the Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development Victor Fernandes who is himself a contractor, also spoke of the dearth of contracts that are awarded to contractors in Linden and region Ten. According to Fernandes for last year he was only awarded two contracts.
Fernandes said that contractors from outside of Linden often come with their machinery, men and ration and their workers when paid, return to their communities to spend the money earned in Linden.
“ What we find is that we have been exporting our resources, through allocation of work to outsiders who come here with everything.”Fernandes lamented.

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