US$120M IsDB loan approved for resurfacing of Soesdyke-Linden Highway

After several months of waiting, the US$120 million loan that the Government had sought for resurfacing the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, has been approved by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
Earlier this year, the Government had announced that they were awaiting approval from the IsDB for a loan to resurface the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. During a visit to the mining town of Linden on Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali provided an update on this loan. He informed residents that this loan was approved only a few days ago.

“What I’m doing today is what I’m doing across the country. We are going to people, meeting people, listening to people. Because one of the important pillars of the Government now, is to ensure that we deliver what the people want and we understand what the people want… the Linden-Soesdyke road, we’re repaving that entire road. The loan has been approved, a few days ago,” the President revealed during his discussions with the residents.
Earlier this year, a team from the ISDB visited Guyana on an appraisal mission for the loan request. The IsDB team was led by Atiq Ahmad, Lead Global Transport Specialist – Economic and Social Infrastructure Department, General Directorate for Global Practices & Partnerships of the IsDB.
On the Government side, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill was joined by his Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud, Dr Tarachand Balgobin, Director of the Project Cycle Management Division at the Ministry of Finance and Patrick Thompson, Chief Transport and Planning Officer. During the meeting, the IsDB team was introduced to their local technical counterparts from the Ministry of Public Works.
At the time, Minister Edghill had reiterated the importance of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway Project and assured the visiting team there is already an accountability system in place to ensure this project is executed efficiently.
Already, the Government, through the Public Works Ministry, is looking to pre-qualify contractors for the upgrade of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. In an advertisement on Friday, the Ministry stated that the Government of Guyana applied for financing from the IsDB toward the cost of the project and intends to apply part of the proceeds of this financing to payments under the contract for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
The Ministry’s work services group (WSG) will be prequalifying contractors for the upgrading of the existing 72.43km two-lane, single-carriageway, and rural arterial highway. The scope of work entails milling of existing asphalt surface course, application of varying pavement structures above the milled sections of pavement inclusive of asphalt, sand asphalt, and sub-base; full-depth pavement reconstruction in certain sections, construction of two roundabouts along the alignment, sidewalk extensions to nine multi-span bridges, drainage work, and utility relocation, and installation of roadway lighting.
The tender document stated that prequalification will be conducted through prequalification procedures specified in the Islamic Development Bank’s guidelines for Procurement of Goods, Works, and Related Services, and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries, as defined in the guidelines.
Interested eligible applicants may obtain further information from and inspect the prequalification document at the Ministry’s Kingston, Georgetown office. A complete set of the prequalification document may be uplifted by interested applicants on the submission of a written application or email.
Applications for prequalification should be submitted in sealed envelopes and delivered to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, Ministry of Finance, by November 23, 2022.
The upgrade to the highway is part of several key plans that the Government has outlined for the Upper Demerara-Berbice region. (G3)