“Finish this or come off the project” – Manickchand tells overdue Bamia school contractors

Less than 24-hours after being sworn in as the new Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Priya Manickchand hit the ground running on Sunday with a site visit to the incomplete Bamia Primary School in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) where she admonished the contractors over the prolonged delays.

The $346 million contract for the construction of the Bamia Primary School, which is located just outside Linden, was awarded to St8tment Investment Inc in November 2021 under the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry.
The 20-month project had an initial completion deadline for July 2023. However, the project had encountered a number of delays with several deadline extensions – the most recent being in time for the September 2025 reopening of the new school year but this was not done. On Sunday, Minister Manickchand conducted a site visit during which she engaged the contractors and cautioned them that they either finish the project in accordance with the newly set timelines or someone else will be given the project to finish. “The contractors have been told that it’s either they finish this or come off the project. So, we’re very clear about what we want for the children who are going to attend here,” the new Local Government and Regional Development Minister said via a video statement posted to her Facebook page.
Manickchand, who previously served as Education Minister in the last Government, lamented on the impact these delays have on the children from that catchment area. “Right now, what’s happening is the children are on shift or sitting three and four on a bench even when they’re on shift but we can’t continue that. So, we’ve just had a meeting with the contractor and their subcontractors and gone through all the things that need to be done and we’re going to be putting someone here fully to make sure that these finishing works will be finished because for the longest while I’ve been reading that they are close to finishing but I’ve also seen other schools, where there isn’t a push and other buildings [where] that last leg of finishing take forever.” “We can’t afford that here. These children have to come into this school and we’re looking at a date in October to begin this. So, we’re going to make sure we put a project manager on the premises and run down the things that have to finish… That’s serious business for us,” Minister Manickchand stressed.
In a statement back in April, the contractor, St8tment Investment Inc, had said the school was now in its final stage of completion. With only minor electrical installations, lighting fixtures, and limited plumbing work remaining, the company indicated that the school was on the verge of being handed over.
“The state-of-the-art facility is expected to be fully operational in time for the September 2025 academic year,” the company noted in the April missive, adding that an inspection conducted by regional authorities and the project consultant confirmed that construction is progressing at a satisfactory standard.
According to St8tment Investment Inc, since the award of the contract, the project has experienced several delays due to a range of challenges, including labour shortages, increased material costs, and unfavourable weather conditions. These setbacks, the company stated, collectively impacted the original timeline and contributed to extensions. The expansive campus is designed to accommodate a growing student population and will include 44 classrooms, a fully equipped gymnasium, an auditorium, a science laboratory, a music room, a library, smart classrooms, and modern restroom facilities – all aimed at delivering a well-rounded educational experience.