$166.5 million contract signed for expansion of Northwest Secondary School

The Ministry of Education on Friday signed a contract valued $166.5 million (US $832,883.96) for the expansion of the Northwest Secondary School in Region One (Barima-Waini).

Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand facilitated the signing ceremony between the Ministry and contracting service International Import and Supplies, at her Brickdam office.

Minister Manickchand said the project, made possible through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and Government’s Guyana Skills Development and Employability Project (GSDEP), will improve Government’s capacity to deliver Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes equitably across the sector.

“As you know, one of our promises is to develop and enhance our offerings at the technical vocational level and that sounds all nice and well, but we can’t do anything if we don’t have the facilities in place.

And so, this programme here, an US$832,000 is going to allow us to offer to the people of Northwest District, those students of Mabaruma, the ability to become more employable, to get more skills to develop themselves through the usage of this facility,” she said.

Speaking of the many delayed and unfinished projects the PPP/C Government encountered upon coming into office last August, Minister Manickchand implored the contractor to keep his part of the agreement, and complete the task on time.

“That brings me to the issue that we’ve had to face repeatedly and it is serious and a vexing issue, and I am not speaking to this contractor alone, but I am speaking to this contractor today, but to contractors who will engage with the Ministry of Education, it is not because we like to quarrel or I like to be a perfectionist that we ask for quality work, delivered in a timely manner, it is because if you don’t give us that, you are robbing children and students and people of what we promise them we will be able to deliver.

“I want to urge this particular contractor, International Import and Supplies, if you won this contract fair and square, give us our worth fair and square.”

The scope of the project includes construction of a two storey (6,480 ft) building to house three workshops for Motor Vehicle Repairs (Cars and Light Trucks), Electrical Installation and Furniture Making, as well as renovation of an existing two storey (2,956 ft) building to house two other workshops for Commercial Food Preparation and Home Economics and Housekeeping. The Region’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) will also be renovated.