$103M Parika Stelling upgrades to be completed in 1 month

Rehabilitation of the Parika Stelling in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a contract which has been awarded to the tune of $103 million, is set for completion in four weeks’ time.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Wednesday visited the worksite of contractor Gryphon Engineering Incorporated and was given an update on the scope of works. Materials and a large quantity of lumber have already been mobilized to kickstart the upgrade.
Gryphon Engineering was awarded the contract to rehabilitate the Parika Stelling on November 6, 2023.
Several wharves and stellings are being upgraded this year, making them fit to accommodate vessels and increased traffic.
Specifically, $2.5 billion was earmarked for advancing works at Kingston goods wharf and the Kumaka, Morawhanna and Port Kaituma stellings.
The new wharves are being constructed at the Barima loading area to service residents of Port Kaituma and surrounding communities. The wharf at Kumaka is being relocated in an effort to mitigate the heavy traffic that obtains at the market, and the Morawhanna stelling is to be upgraded, as it caters only to passengers and small cargo.
Construction of the Port Kaituma Wharf in Region One (Barima-Waini) is expected to be completed before the busy Christmas season. The $1.4B project is set to be concluded in December 2023, but Minister Edghill has urged the contractor to aim for completion by November, to ensure the facility is ready to facilitate passengers in peak season.
In October, works on the Leguan Stelling were stalled for a prolonged period, and the Public Works Ministry had read the Riot Act to the contractor, saying that penalties would be instituted against the contractor for not fulfilling their contractual obligations despite efforts to meet their demands.
Upgrades to the Leguan Stelling should have been completed since 2019 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration. Instead, the project was inherited by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.
It has been reported that the contractor was making claims for additional payments throughout the contract, and that has been hampering progress. This is despite the contractor receiving almost $200 million upfront, roughly half of the contracted sum. The Ministry said efforts were made to accommodate the contractor’s additional demands, and 10 variation orders were issued. (G12)