Region Six on course to complete all capital projects

REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of East Berbice/Corentyne (Region Six) Mr. Narindra
Persaud said $437M worth of contracts have been signed with some70 contractors taking care all
capital projects for the 2020 fiscal year.
Persaud in an exclusive told www.aroundtheregions.com that 80 percent of the works have been
completed and final payments have been withheld from some contractors until the remaining 20
percent have been satisfactorily completed the terms of their contractual agreement.
Late last week some 95 percent of the schemes were scheduled for completion, making REO
Persaud optimistic and excited that the heavily-agricultural Region was on track to complete 100
percent of the infrastructural and other programmes for this year.
“We have set ourselves a deadline of December 18 so by this (Friday December 18) afternoon I
would get a report to determine if we have completed the work in time. However, I have no
doubt that we will be able to achieve that target,” Persaud said
“We sought to ensure that there is a level playing field, so we give contracts to everyone who
expressed an interest and qualified. In the past there were 10 to 12 contractors who took all the
money as they were able to manipulate the system. This saw several contractors getting multiple
projects. Now with the system that we implemented everybody got at least one or two contracts,”
he explained.
He cautioned that from 2021 only contractors who can perform at the very highest level will be
selected.
“I have visited every project to evaluate the work being done, so come 2021 we can then say that
these are some of the better contractors, while these are the ones who cannot deliver quality. I
have ensured that everyone got an opportunity to prove themselves so there isn’t anyone who can
come and say that they were not given an opportunity to prove their worth,” he declared.

“To get work done requires that one be a team player. When I came here, I met with all
programme heads and I told them that the REO…cannot run the region by himself.   I
empowered them and secured their participation. Of course, you will have hiccups as some will
not fully cooperate but I am working to get the most out of them,” he said explaining his
strategy.
“The good thing is that more than 80 percent of the programme heads are adjusting
quickly to the changes we want… but I am getting the support,” REO Persaud declared.