Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 13, 2022 News
…money can build homes for two families
Kaieteur News – The Attorney General Chambers and the Ministry of Legal Affairs has defended building a shed to park vehicles-monies which can be used to house at least two poor families- many of whom are struggling to access state lands and loans to build their dream homes.
In a statement in response to an article published by this newspaper on Thursday highlighting the exorbitant spending on such a project, the ministry said a simple enquiry from the ministry or an examination of the bid documents would have provided the relevant information that the reporter needed. “Such resorts would have revealed that the current parking shed is decades old, is dilapidated and unless demolished or repaired, would damage government and private vehicles parked under it. It is made of wood and zinc both of which are rotting. Rather than repair such a derelict structure or replacing with similar materials, the management of the Ministry prudently decided to construct a parking shed made completely out of steel, cemented to the ground. Such a structure will last, at a minimum of two decades, once properly maintained as opposed to one made of wood and zinc which requires annual maintenance,” the statement read.
According to the ministry the proposed shed is approximately 200 feet in length by 19 feet in width. “This is larger than the current structure and will accommodate several more vehicles, as more space for parking is badly needed. The design and bill of quantities was prepared free of cost by engineers at the Ministry of Public Works. If any sensible person examines the acquisition costs of the steel and concrete needed, coupled with transportation, fabrication and labour required to carry out the works at prevailing rates in the country, that person would conclude that the sum of $8 million is quite a reasonable sum for such a project.”
Sources told Kaieteur News that the ministry is tearing down the old shed and is replacing it with a bigger one to accommodate more vehicles, still the source said the estimated amount is: “ridiculous.” “Why would you build a parking shed for such a high cost, when people can’t get houses? Some persons have lands and can’t even afford to build a house and you are spending $8M on a shed,” the source added.
The current structure is supported by at least 20 2×4 posts cemented to the ground and standing at an estimated height of at least 10 feet. As the ministry embarks on this project, it should be noted that the money, which was stated as the estimated cost, can build a 20 by 30 foot, turn-key home with inside toilet and bath facilities and still have a minimum of $3M remaining. In fact, it was reported in September 2020 that the current government had earmarked an area at Perseverance located behind Providence, EBD to construct turn-key homes for low-income families. The Ministry of Housing and Water had back then stated that each of the turn-key homes will cost $4.9M or $4.4M and includes two bedrooms, an inside toilet and bath with a kitchen sink. Although one could argue that the cost for materials has increased since then, it can be noted that one of the houses being built under the government’s current core homes project still cost less than $8M.
An April 4, 2022 post on the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Facebook page revealed that government is in the final stages of completing 100 core homes for families at Williamsburg/Hampshire, Berbice, Region Six. CH&PA in its post stated, “each home is a two-bedroom flat unit, measuring 20 feet by 30 feet (600 square feet) and is being built by 13 contractors at a total cost of $750 million.” One hundred Core homes built for a total of $750M simply means that each house is costing the government only $7.5M, $500,000 less than the cost for the new shed at the Ministry’s office.
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