Housing areas in 2022: More than $25B in tenders to be awarded in coming weeks

The Government of Guyana will soon be awarding over $25 billion in contracts for infrastructural work that will be done in various housing areas, with the tenders expected to be opened by year end.
During the signing of contracts for the Eccles-to-Diamond Road on Wednesday, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal announced that the tenders would be opened by December 30 by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

It is understood that these works would be done in areas that range from Onderneeming in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara. Once these tenders are awarded, Croal said that the Project Department falling under the Ministry would have a week and a half to evaluate these tenders.
“On the 29th or 30th of this month, we’ll have the opening of tenders for a number of infrastructure works that are planned for areas for where we allocated this year and those will form part of the budgetary programme for 2022, for which the National Budget is expected to be presented,” the Minister said.
“So, to the Project Department… they have one week and a half to complete, or the evaluators involved in evaluating the tenders that will be opened, they have a week and a half to complete hundreds of evaluations in time for our presentation… so that will tell you the amount of work they have coming up.”
This year, the housing sector received a total allocation of $8.9 billion. Of this sum, $6 billion was for infrastructure and utility works in new and existing areas. This will pave the way for the allocation of over 10,000 house lots and 7000 land titles to citizens.
It was only on Monday that Croal had stated that the Government was working on a number of critical programmes to support the massive housing drive in Guyana. Among those interventions are strengthening access to water, expanding the road network, improving housing conditions, and promoting employment through community-based projects countrywide.
Delivering remarks at the commissioning of the $5 billion Mocha-to-Diamond interlink road, The Housing Minister said that the drilling of new wells in Providence, and another in Diamond has commenced to enhance potable water delivery on the East Bank.
Additionally, water networks in several other areas are being upgraded. This, he said, will see some communities along the East Bank receiving potable water for the first time.
“We are upgrading water treatment plants in Eccles, Covent Garden and Grove to increase the treated water coverage, and improving levels of services in and around the surrounding areas, because we want you to be comfortable in your homes when you build them,” he had said.
Croal had also said that the first phase of infrastructure for the upgrading of existing access roads, access bridges, unsurfaced roads, pipe networks, drains, and culverts is underway to the tune of $7 billion.
“Tenders are out for similar infrastructural works in Plantation Golden Grove, Little and Great Diamond areas which will form part of the 2022 budgetary programme. In this regard, close to $28 billion is expected to be spent by Government to develop the housing areas on the East Bank of Demerara, inclusive of the new four-lane concrete highway from Eccles to Great Diamond,” the Minister had further explained.
In further clarifying what he meant when he had spoken of the $28 billion sum, Croal on Wednesday explained that it encompassed a range of projects including the Eccles-to-Diamond Road.
“When I use the figure for $28 billion, the projection we expect on the East Bank corridor in the coming year… this project, you just heard the exact (cost) of $13.3 billion. Then you have upcoming infrastructure works for areas we have allocated, in terms of Little and Great Diamond, Golden Grove. We’re expecting and projecting to invest another $14 billion in infrastructure works for first time access for a number of households and commercial activities.
“So the people of Guyana, the economy, the spin-off from investments in this sector alone. And this is just one sector of Government. The spin-off benefits, and when you take into consideration, the Private Sector benefits, sometimes we underestimate the impact of housing construction on the economy of Guyana,” Croal said. (G3)