Lone contractor bids $58M above engineer’s estimate to build primary school at Wakenaam

Sep 23, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The only contractor that submitted a bid to construct a primary school on the Wakenaam Island in Region Three has proposed to do the job for $58 million more than the engineer’s estimate which is set at $90,777,704.

The Arthurville Primary School in the Wakenaam Island. (Photo credit: Ministry of Education)

During the opening of tenders yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPATB) office, it was revealed that for the Ministry of Education project, lone contractor Dundas Construction Inc. placed a bid of $148,619,298 to construct the school. Back in May, during a visit to the island, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand had told parents of students attending the Arthurville Primary School that the school will be rebuilt. The minister’s visit was to address parents concerns about the deteriorating school building.

In a ministry release, it stated that “due to the worsening condition of the school’s physical structure over the years, it was decided in March of this year to move the children and teachers out of the school and have them accommodated at the Sans Souci Primary School.”

Minister Manickchand had informed the parents that the Arthurville Primary School will not be shut down but rather it will be demolished and a new and modern structure will be built at the same location.

She told the parents that the decision to move the children and teachers was necessary since it was determined that the building was unsafe to use. Minister said that a decision was made very quickly to have the children and staff moved to Sans Souci since it was the closest school with enough physical space.

“This school is going to continue but you have to give us time to build it. I can’t know what I know and keep children and teachers here because I won’t be able to live with myself if anything is to ever happen to them,” Minister Manickchand told the parents.

She had informed them that every effort is being made within the Central Ministry and at the Regional level to see how quickly the school can be rebuilt. Minister Manickchand had mentioned that the latest the island should expect the new school is 2023, but efforts would be made to have it completed as early as possible.

Following her visit, it was reported that some $307 million was approved for the Education Ministry in the supplementary budget. The Minister, following the approval of the supplementary budget had posted on her Facebook page that money was approved to rebuild the Arthurville Primary School as promised. According to the Financial Paper No.1 2022, from that $307 million, $27,232,550 was set aside to facilitate the construction of a primary school in Wakenaam.