Over $1B in contracts inked for improved security and other works in Region Six

Jun 01, 2021 News

By Malisa Playter-Harry

From left: Regional Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain; Regional Chairman, David Armogan; Minister Nigel Dharamlall; CEO of Queensway Security, Lancelot Khan; and REO, Narindra Persaud.

Kaieteur News – Towards the improvement of the Region, close to $1 billion in contracts were signed on Friday in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) situated at Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam, Region Six. At the simple signing ceremony were Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, and regional officials.
Among the contracts inked was a new security firm that will provide services for the RDC and government buildings in the region. The security firm, Queensway Security, signed the contract valued at $988,786,754 to provide its services for a period of one year.
The new firm has taken over from the controversial Integrated Security firm. Security guards that were attached to Integrated Security had staged several protests over late payments and the non-payments of NIS. However the newly signed security firm assured that such issues would be a thing of the past.
The other contracts signed included the extension of the Berbice High School, a contract valued at $14,828,118, which was awarded to N&S General and Contracting Engineering; the rehabilitation of the No.63 beach entrance, a contract valued at $31,408,110, which was awarded to Shaffeeullah Sawmill; and the rehabilitation of the No. 61 beach entrance, a contract valued at $28,738,190, which was awarded to Premium Asphalt. The contracts were signed by the Regional Executive Officer, Narindra Persaud.
With the Region Six budget being in excess of $6B, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Dharamlall, stated that there have been too many reports of poor quality of work being executed and poor service being given and “today we are signing a contract of $988,786,754 for security…when His Excellency (President Irfaan) came to this Region, one of the foremost complaints he received was that the security providers at that time were unjust to the people that were hired.” He added that there have been too many complaints about NIS not being paid and stressed that deductions that are being made must be in order so that those employees will reap the benefits in their old age. “…you should also see this as a form of open competition and that you have been able to get these contracts as you have gotten others so just make sure you do justice to the bills of quantities,” said the Minister as he added, “we have intensified our monitoring.”
Addressing the contractors who signed their contracts for the rehabilitation of the entrances to the two beaches and the extension of the Berbice High School, the Minister noted that much is expected from their performance. “We expect that site visits will be done. We don’t want to get to a point where they have issues that lead to compromise that can affect the contract. We would like to see that documentation

are in order and as contractors do not accept an instruction unless it is documented because we are not going to honour any variation or any change of scope or any payment deviation unless there is proper documentation,” said the Minister.
He continued, “You have to get yourself in order and ensure that your performance is based on well documented procedures. We have had too many complaints where the contracting authority, in this case the region, where contractors depend too often on the engineers to prepare their documents so we expect that contractors will be in a position to at least prepare their invoices, payment certificates. The engineers have a duty to ensure that contracts are monitored and are executed and in keeping with the specifications.”
The Minister also asked that the contractors use the opportunity to hire labourers or skilled persons within the areas where the projects are being executed to provide employment.
“You try to employ them as much as possible. In the security sector, that is a substantial amount and we hope too that from within their areas, they get the opportunity to be part of the service so that they don’t have to travel far distances,” the Minister added.
On Friday too, $4.4 million was handed over to the Regional Health Service,

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