18 contractors bid lower than Govt. engineer’s $85M for Ogle Fire Station

Dec 08, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Eighteen of the 21 contractors who submitted bids for the construction of the Ogle Fire Station tendered lower than the government engineer’s estimate of $85 million.
The project is being undertaken by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The engineer is a state employee and questions have been raised about the glaring variance in his cost and that of 18 of the contractors- many of whom have years of experience in building construction. It is believed at this critical stage of public projects, millions are usually stolen through corrupt award of the contracts. Kaieteur News on Tuesday reached out to Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn for the name of the engineer attached to his office but he declined to disclose same.
At the opening of tenders on Tuesday, at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was revealed that to rebuild the fire station it would cost $85,611,455. The 18 contractors who bid less than the engineer’s estimated cost, submitted prices ranging from $63 million to $84 million.
According to reports, this project forms part of the $1.9 billion that was allocated to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) in the 2021 budget. In February last, government in its annual budget presentation outlined that the $1.9B will go towards the relocation of the Stabroek Fire Station, the construction of a new fire station at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) which is already in its final stage of completion and the procurement of six water tenders and two ambulances.
Recently, it was revealed that out of the $1.9B, the relocation of the Central Fire Station would eat up $648 million. That contract was recently awarded to Mohamed Enterprise to the sum of $614M. As for the Eccles Fire Station, it is being constructed to the tune of $37 million by contractor, Kawal Ramdeen General Construction Company.
Additionally, the Fire Service in March received four tenders from the government at the cost of $175M. Also on Tuesday, bids were out for the supply and delivery of office furnishing, computers and electronic equipment for the Brickdam Police Station. This Station was in October completely destroyed by a fire.
Below are the companies and their bids:
Ministry of Home Affairs
Re-construction of Ogle Fire Station, Guyana Fire Service.