$800M in contracts signed for road works in Regions 4 & 5

…contractors told to employ residents in community

The Public Works Ministry has signed multiple contracts totalling $809,118,688 million for the rehabilitation of 10.642 kilometres of miscellaneous and urban roads from the East Coast of Demerara to Mahaica, Region Four.
During the contract signing ceremony on Friday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said that the over-$809 million in road works are set to be completed within a 12-month duration. He also highlighted the importance for contractors to employ persons within the communities they are working.
“All contractors are being urged to employ labour from the communities where you are executing your contract, that’s a public policy of the Government. When you’re doing a job in a community, engage people from that community,” the Minister stressed.
Additionally, Minister Edghill also unveiled that three roads will be constructed in Sophia under the Urban Roads Programme. He added that the Government aims to construct a total of thirty roads in Sophia throughout this year.
“Under our Urban Roads Programme (URP) today we are awarding contracts for three roads in Sophia. The intent is that we will be doing about thirty roads in Sophia in 2023. We’re awarding three roads today that has already been evaluated and ready,” Edghill noted.
Minister Edghill also emphasised the Government’s commitment to bringing development to various communities across the country.

Projects intended for good
Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Ministry also signed eighteen contracts totalling $1.3 billion for the construction of roads in Yarrowkabra, Kuru Kururu, and Swan, Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Fifty-eight contracts totalling over $2.8 billion were also signed for road works across Region Three.
Speaking at the contract signing, Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar urged contractors to cooperate and communicate with the residents during the execution of the project.
“These projects are intended for good. The way communities and contractors communicate with each other is very important,” he said.
Additionally, Indar pointed out that the majority of the contractors for these projects are new contractors, and this diversity indicates that new persons are being awarded opportunities to contribute to their communities as well as to gain employment.
“This country is building at an explosive rate, and a lot of contractors are required to build out this country. This is the opportunity for new people to come onboard—many of them bid, and many of them got work,” the Minister noted.
Additionally, on Wednesday contracts for the rehabilitation of roads across Region Six totalling in excess of $1.9 billion were also signed.