Bids out for construction of new Police divisional headquarters

In keeping with plans to decentralise the Guyana Police Force (GPF), preparations have commenced to construct five new divisional headquarters in various administrative regions across the country.

The Public Security Ministry has invited sealed bids from eligible and qualified bidders for the construction of the new headquarters at Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Diamond, East Bank Demerara, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), and Fort Wellington, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
This was budgeted for in the 2019 Budget. In fact, Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his presentation had stated that this year will see the Police Force focusing on consolidating existing facilities and the expansion of services to cover larger areas.
“To better plan and execute its mandate, the GPF has undertaken to harmonise its divisional boundaries with those of the administrative regions in a phased manner, with a view to ensuring that each region has at least one divisional headquarters,” he stated.
To this end, the Minister disclosed that nearly $700 million has been earmarked to, among other things, construct new divisional headquarters in Regions One, Four, Five and Eight.
The issue of decentralising the Police Force was first mentioned by President David Granger back in 2017. Addressing members of the country’s premier law enforcement agency, the Commander in Chief had stated that the Police Force will adopt the same divisional structure as the 10 administrative regions so that each capital town will have a Police headquarter. This, he noted, will allow the assigned Divisional Commander to be able to have a more close-knit relation with the Regional Administration.
In fact, the Head of State reiterated these plans at the GPF’s Annual Police Officers’ Conference back in January this year.
“Police divisions are being restructured to correspond to governmental regional divisions; Commanders for regional divisions will no longer be forced to endure the urban discomfort of Eve Leary but will be live and work in more pleasant hinterland regions; I’m sure they’ll look forward to that,” he stated.
While acknowledging the Force’s inadequate capacity, as well as lack of resources to proper police hinterland regions, President Granger, nevertheless, emphasised the need for the police to be in those areas.
“These geographical and demographic factors place a burden on the Force’s organisational, operational, administrative and human capabilities. Officers, in this regard, are selected, trained, appointed, promoted and tasked to command the Force’s manpower and manage its resources in order to fulfil the complex tasks of maintaining public security in this complex country, and in this varied landscape. Officers are paid more to do more, not as reward for past efforts, but as a promise of what they are capable of doing. The Force is not merely one for shine shoes and soft raiment. It is not an organisation only for desk-bound clerks and land-lubbers. Officers have to get out of their offices into the regions and Divisions,” the President had asserted.
Persons interested in bidding for the construction of these five new divisional headquarters can inspect the Bidding Document(s) and obtain further information from the Finance Department at the Public Security Ministry in Brickdam, Georgetown, between 08:30h and 15:30h from Monday to Friday. The Bid Document can also be uplifted at a non-refundable fee of $5000.
Bids should be addressed to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and deposited in the tender box at the NPTAB’s office in the Finance Ministry’s compound no later than 09:00h on July 30, 2019.
The bids will be opened at 09:00h on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 in NPTAB’s Boardroom in the presence of those bidders or their representatives who choose to attend the opening.