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Sep 16, 2016 News
– Lack of engineers stymieing project delivery schedule
The issue of contractors biting off more than they can chew, has for years been considered as one of the main reasons why infrastructural works are halted and in some cases, stretch beyond the agreed upon deadlines resulting in
the populace being inconvenienced.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said yesterday at a Press Conference hosted at his Ministry, Kingston Georgetown, that the Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Furguson, and himself, have acknowledged these challenges.
Patterson said that his Ministry will be working along with the Private Sector to find a resolution to this issue of contractors bidding for projects despite already being engaged in other contracts, and therefore failing to procure equipment for the new contract.
“Daily you would hear there are contractors and individuals complaining about the awarding of contracts; about not being able to access contracts. Several contractors would have been awarded contracts since June this year and they would have received our mobilisation.
“But no physical presence is there on site. In contacting them, they would identify challenges; unavailability of their equipment and when we checked they have more than one contract…They are spread thin yet they continue to bid,” the Minister said.
Making reference to the Linden/Lethem Trail, the Minister said that he was disturbed because the contracts would have already been tendered out, however, works are yet to commence in any “meaningful manner”.
“So we do recognise that while persons are bidding and there is currently no limit to how much a contractor can bid, there is a limit to how much he can execute and having signed our contracts and collected our mobilisation, we are sort of locked in until the expiration (of the contract). So we have to address that, and I do intend to meet with the Private Sector and the Contractors.”
Meanwhile, the Minister reported that more engineers are needed to service the regions, particularly the Hinterland regions. According to Patterson, the current remuneration packages available are not attractive enough to employees. He said that this matter will be addressed in approximately three months’ time.
“We are finding it difficult to recruit engineers – even qualified engineers at the current Public Service Commission salaries which for a graduate engineer is $80,000. So it is a matter which will be addressed…I went to Cabinet and I said that it was impossible; you can’t get an engineer…So Cabinet has said to us ‘fair enough.” the Minister said.
Arrangements were subsequently made and the PSM created positions which allowed for the hiring of 11 engineers at $230,000 each. However, despite this, the Minister said that persons were unwilling although housing, transportation and other benefits were being tied in.
Earlier this year, the Ministry had advertised twice for engineers located in various Regions including Regions One (Barima/Waini); Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro/Siparuni); and Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo).
“To date, I’ve only been able to hire an engineer for Region Eight after six months, and that obviously impacts on our delivery schedule because each project that you do in the Ministry we would have to assign an engineer to it.”
He said that the Ministry has engineers in Georgetown however; with them travelling to the interior – which they visit so often – he finds that the feedback is not good enough.
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