Govt to pull plug on $253M Micobie school contract after missed deadline

With the contractor more than four months past the deadline to complete construction on the Micobie Secondary school in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Education Minister, Priya Manickchand on Thursday announced that the government is working on terminating its $253 million contract awarded to build the school.
The minister made the declaration during her presentation at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, where she spoke about the state of education in the country’s hinterland villages.
Manickchand acknowledged that even as the government works to develop education in the hinterland communities, the ministry is not without its share of challenges, particularly pertaining to development of infrastructure.

However, the minister noted that while some contractors have valid challenges delaying their work, in the case of the contractor building the Micobie Secondary School, there has not been sufficient reason for the delay.
“We are about to terminate the contract for the Micobie Secondary because… [the contractor at] Micobie has no legitimate reason, in my respectful and considerate view, as to why he couldn’t start it,” the minister noted.
It was in July 2024 that a ceremonial sod-turning ceremony was held to mark the commencement of construction on the school, with the construction slated to take six months. The multi-million contract for the construction was awarded to NK Engineering Services with an initial mobilization amount of $76 million.
The school was hailed as a cornerstone of educational advancement and community development, being strategically positioned to benefit approximately 150 students and community members, fostering academic growth and enhancing access to quality education in Micobie.
Micobie Village was one of the villages affected by the 2023 devastating Mahdia Secondary School dorm fire that claimed the lives of 20 children.
The facility was expected to feature a staff room for teachers and 10 classrooms, including five specialized labs for science, IT, home economics, visual arts, and library services. The construction was expected to provide employment for persons in the surrounding communities.

Lapsing contractors
NK Engineering Services was awarded the contract through a competitive bidding process as outlined in the Public Procurement Act. Minister Manickchand noted that lapsing contractors continue to be a bugbear for the ministry but that the government is addressing the situation when necessary.
“Do we have challenges? We have challenges. Somebody bids for a school and said they will finish it in 6 or 8 or 14 months and they don’t… so we have those challenges. Challenges that you are aware of. Some we are working with you to fix and some we have to terminate to move on. One of the weakest parts of the ministry is monitoring an evaluation, but that will change in the next term,” Manickchand said.