KINGSTON - Hon. Robeson Benn urged qualified Engineers and Technicians “to stop looking down from their ivory towers” and help train their colleagues.
The Public Works and Transport Minister made this appeal on Friday February 21, 2014 during the Ministry’s party at the Transport and Harbours Sports Club.
“…[they] should help one another,” he said.
The Minister told the large gathering that despite the criticisms the Ministry faces its ultimate goal is to facilitate growth for the future generation. He proudly pointed out that Guyana is one of the few Caribbean countries to exercise growth.
He also called for improvements on risk assessments for projects. “We want to continue to develop a culture of safety throughout the country.”
Meanwhile, His Excellency President Donald Ramotar congratulated the Minister and staff for their key role in the infrastructural development of the country, and expressed optimism for more progress in 2014.
“Let’s recharge those batteries so projects are on time and rededicate ourselves to build a better Guyana,” His Excellency added.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who added that Guyana “is our creation.”
Ministers of Education Priya Manickchand and Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran also joined in the Ministry’s celebration.
PETER’S HALL - Police Officer, David Lindo, crashed his vehicle into a section of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) on January 29, 2014 which caused over GYD$200,000 in damages.
According to the General Manager RawlstonAdams, the incident occurred around 23:40 h. The Officer’s vehicle collided into the Bridge Rails at Span 45 which damaged two Cable Trays anda Diamond Panel Member. The total figure for the compromised section amounted to $233,703.
Furthermore, the Officer involved threw Mr. Adams’ mobile phone into the river. However, it has been replaced.
The Police are currently conducting an internal investigation into the matter.
REGION FIVE – Minister of Public Works Hon. Robeson Benn congratulated the stakeholders, especially the contracting company, instrumental in successfully bringing the GYD $349M Hope Canal Bridge to completion.
He made these remarks during the bridge’s official ceremony on Saturday February 16, 2014.
Minister Benn said it will ensure Guyana continues to optimise its food production by reducing the risk of flooding in the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary (MMA) areas.
He particularly recognised DIPCON, for being a ‘reliable development partner in Guyana’ for 19 years especially on construction work, moreso roads and bridges.
“They have been with us for the long haul over all of these years, and their effort in Guyana really has to be recognised, whilst we have gone through the ups and down of developing our country, all of these years,” Minister Benn said.
Furthermore, the Minister acknowledged that Guyanese engineers and workers are learning more, and are become more formalised on the issues of safety and engineering excellence. The bridge is a single example as to how they can and are growing in terms of expertise and delivery.
KINGSTON – The country’s aviation watchdog – the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) – intends to purchase an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) this year.
This was disclosed by its General Manager Zulifar Mohamed at the year-in-review press conference on January 31, 2014.
“This is a system for air traffic surveillance. With ADS-B, each aircraft broadcasts its own GPS position along with other information like heading, ground track, ground speed, altitude. Receivers on the ground then receive this information and send it to air traffic control displays,” Mr. Mohamed told reporters.
The ADS-B information can be used to augment existing primary and secondary (transponder-based) radar or used in lieu of those radar technologies. The implementation of ADS-B will increase the capacity of Guyana’s airspace to accommodate four times as much traffic/aircraft operations in the same airspace.
KINGSTON - Government has granted its no-objection for the release of US$5.9 million to facilitate aspects of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion and Modernisation Project.
Transport Minister Robeson Benn said the US$5.9 million will facilitate the acquisition of supervision consultancy services for the expansion project.
Despite political opposition, the CJIA Expansion and Modernisation Project is progressing smoothly and is on target. Currently, work is ongoing on the runway. When completed, the runway will be able to facilitate Boeing 747-400 aircraft, expanding by 3500 feet to a final length of 10,500 feet.
In addition to extending the runway, a new terminal building measuring 16,000 square metres is incorporated into the design of the modernisation project. The terminal will be equipped with eight passenger boarding bridges, two elevators and CCTV and departures control systems.
The drafting of the final design for the terminal building has commenced. This is slated to be completed by March. The project also includes the erection of eight international parking positions, including a dedicated position for cargo aircraft. On October 31, 2012, Guyana and China signed an agreement for the facilitation of the US$130 million (RMB 825 million) loan from the Chinese Exim Bank to fund the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Expansion and Modernisation Project.
Setback
However, during the consideration of the 2013 national budget in the National Assembly, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) used their one-seat majority to cut the entire $5.6 billion, which was set aside for the project. The cut was made despite pleas by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, which stated that the state-of-art facility, when completed would be able to facilitate a larger influx of passengers.
Meanwhile, Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira, who sat in the place of the head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon during the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday, said Cabinet also granted its no-objection for other projects ranging in the millions.
In the area of education, US$368,000 was approved for the design and supervision of civil works under the government of Guyana-World Bank funded Science and Technology Project at the University of Guyana.
Meanwhile, $19 million was released for the provision of a vehicle for the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) and $21.5 million for the provision of security services for the Agriculture Ministry’s head office and the Hydromet department.
Under the Local Government Ministry, $691.8 million has been approved for the rehabilitation of community miscellaneous roads in Regions Four and Six, while US$103,100 will be used for consultancy services for the revision of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan in preparation of the fifth national report to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
US$250,130 for the provision of consultancy services to conduct a study on Guyana’s tourism brand; $49.1 million for the rental of buildings to house offices to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM); and $113.6 million for the construction of core houses in Regions Three, Five and 10 were among other projects approved by the Cabinet.
KINGSTON - Government is pushing for the pursuit of investigations into the terror threat made to Caribbean Airlines, Guyana Flight 484, Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn told the National Assembly yesterday.
On February 7, the CAL office in Barbados received, via telephone, a threat to its 784 flight that was scheduled to travel today (February 10) out of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). “We have asked through the security operatives for contacts to pursue an investigation, to be pursued in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and if possible too in the United States of America with respect to putting at rest to determine who made the threat and its specific nature,” Minister Benn said.
The threat seemly emanated from a person with a Trinidadian accent, who rang off immediately when pressed for more information and this caused the airport to be put on high alert, Minister Benn said.
He explained that immediately following the threat that the security system and operatives and officials in CAL system and also in Guyana were alerted, and the highest level of the government. The matter was discussed at the level of Government at a meeting on February 8, but immediately on the day of the threat at 14:00hrs at a high level security meeting, the matter was assessed and measures put in place.
The heightened security posterior at CJIA, included a 100 percent screening of passengers and areas to ensure there was no sabotage with respect to that and any other flights, the Minister said. The result of the effort was that the flight departed without incident, but with some delay, due to extra screening from the airport. The flight, which also suffered a 13 percent reduction in passenger, landed successfully at Miami International Airport.
The heightened security will remain in place for the upcoming days, Minister Benn said.
KINGSTON - The Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Ministry of Publics Works were advised of a ‘threat’ received by Caribbean Airlines and immediately convened a high level security meeting with relevant security agencies and stakeholders of the airport.
The officials assessed the threat and put in place a number of measures to prevent any untoward occurrence.
The Ministry and CJIA have since adopted the highest security posture to protect passengers, crew, aircraft and airport employees and to ensure the continued smooth and safe operations at the airport.
Passengers and other airport users are asked to be on the lookout for any suspicious activities or occurrences and report same to an airport security official.
A heightened security posture will remain in place over a number of days until such time as the threat is no longer deemed valid.
TIMEHRI - Despite the crafty ways drugs peddlers use to smuggle illegal substances through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) – the security agencies continue their pursuit to cripple the narco-trade.
To this end, two passengers were nabbed separately on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Timehri aerodrome with approximately 20 kilogrammes of cocaine found in tamarind achar.
At 15:45h, the baggage of 77 year-old Winston Blake, a United States of America citizen, unearthed two packages of achar. The cocaine - over 10 kilos - was concealed in tamarind seeds.
Similarly, Guyanese citizen, Sadeeka Odie, 38, was apprehended around 17:10h after packages of achar with cocaine in the shape of tamarind seeds were also found. She was travelling with her nine year-old daughter.
Both passengers were enroute to New York City on Caribbean Airlines. The seizures of the illegal substance are the first for February.
In January, a Canadian citizen was caught with 9.5 kilogrammes of cocaine while in-transit at CJIA. He flew from Trinidad and Tobago. The drugs were discovered in false walls in his checked luggage.
Meanwhile, the Law Enforcement Agencies must be lauded for these detections which saw the cocaine being cleverly made in the form of tamarind seed and placed in achar.
It is a stark reminder of the lengths at which those involve in the narco-trade would go to move the drugs through our ports.
In the past, drugs were concealed in pepper sauce, star-apple, pumpkin, cabbage, chowmein, ochro, false walls and bottoms of suitcases, shoe soles, wigs among others.
LILIENDAAL - The biggest challenge facing the US$150M Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) project stretches for 1,400 of the 2,247-ft. extension of the runway.
This is according to Assistant General Manager of the China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC), Dr Zhimin Hu, who yesterday provided an update to the massive engineering confab held at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC).
The problem is as a result of the soft nature of the soil and the level of water present.
Dr Hu told those present at the conference, including Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, that the company proposes to drill and install a number of sand columns meant to dry the soil and allow for greater consolidation.
The stretch of runway will also require tonnes of sand to fill it, in order to raise the level of the soil to meet the current height of the existing runway. This will have to be done along the 1,400 feet section which will be 115 metres wide and will have to be raised as much as 15 metres in some sections.
This publication understands that the existing airport was built on a plateau and as such at the end of the existing runway there is a slope downwards that will have to be raised to the level of the runway. Dr Hu in her presentation yesterday said that one of the first challenges was finding a suitable location for the new terminal. She said that given the fact that the existing terminal was recently expanded and the fact that its extension would have disrupted services at the airport, it was decided by the Guyana Government to build a completely new terminal.
Dr Hu said that finding a suitable location that would allow for it to be integrated as well as not disturb the current operations also proved to be challenging.
In providing some background into the project, she said that the Guyana Government approached China Harbour, which prepared the project proposal as well as provided assistance for the financing through the Chinese EXIM (Export/Import) Bank.
While the contract for the project was inked in late 2011, days before former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, demitted office, work on the project did not begin until mid-last year.
Meanwhile, CJIA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ramesh Ghir, in responding to a question posed as to the ability of the extended runway to take off the load of large cargo planes, said that what is being targeted would be the Boeing 747-400. He said that Boeing 777 and 787 would also be facilitated.
Earlier this month, in providing an update of the project, Ghir had said that some 4,500 truck-loads of sand has been dumped on the site to date, and the design for the new terminal will be completed at the end of March.
Currently slated as the second largest public infrastructure project in the country, the initiative has not found favour with the Opposition, who voted down several billion dollars allocated in the budget, last year. The Opposition said they want more clarity on the project as there were not sufficient reasons advanced to justify the spending.
Government had been arguing that increased passenger traffic and a short runway have both stifled the growth of CJIA. In addition to sewage problems, the current airport in peak season is unable to handle the crowds. (Kaietuer News)
LILIENDAAL - Guyana’s construction sector continues to face a series of challenges ranging from a shortage of essential materials to a lack of human resources, but Chief Works Officer Jeffery Vaughn said topping the chart is the incompetence of personnel within the sector.
Addressing the Public Works Ministry’s fourth engineering conference on Thursday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Vaughn said 98 contracting firms have been registered on the contract register; however, a high percentage has been unable to vie for internationally-funded projects owing to their incompetence.
Based on an assessment of contracts awarded over the past five years, Vaughn said only a few contractors had the capacity to execute projects funded through loans or grants from international agencies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank.
“It is something worrying to know that we have contractors and consultants locally, and here it is, we are faced with capacity issues,” he lamented.
The chief works officer said direct foreign investment in projects leads to increased demand in the construction industry, creating much-needed jobs, but he questioned whether Guyanese at this stage are capable of capitalising on these mega opportunities.
Disturbing shift
“National construction companies lack the technical managerial capacity to understand most of the foreign-funded projects, that’s a fact…,” Vaughn said.
He stated that there has been a disturbing shift in the construction sector. According to him, reports indicate that the sector is dominated by unqualified persons, many of whom are managing projects, resulting in time and cost overruns and defective bills of quantities. He said lack of understanding of procurement rules is also common.
He said poor-quality work has also led to projects being terminated. “We should not compromise quality, for anything! Because if we compromise our quality it is obvious that we will have a large bill in terms of the redoing of that project,” he stressed.
National construction firms have also been accused of having little or no funds to participate in the sponsorship of the privatised projects. “It is not a challenge. There are less and less projects being done by our local contractors,” he reiterated.
The core of the problem lies within the education sector, Vaughn told the audience. An overview of the 2012/2013 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations indicates that pass rates in science subjects critical to the engineering field are low. A meagre 30.35 per cent of students passed mathematics, while 52.39 per cent passed chemistry. Physics recorded a pass rate of 54.34 per cent and English 45 per cent.
“For us to move on, we have to deal with the core issue.” The problem also exists at the level of the technical institute, with the pass rate decreasing in 2013.
In reviewing reports from the University of Guyana (UG), Vaughn disclosed that only 2900 students enrolled in the Faculty of Technology during the period 2009-2013 from a total of 31,090.
“This represents 9.3 per cent of the university population over that five-year period. How do you supply our construction sector with engineers, with clerk of works, with technicians, with supervisors when we have such a meagre figure,” he questioned.
He emphasised that professionals are needed, so the construction sector must move to improve training and the capacity of students, starting as early as the secondary level.
“We have to give them the tools for them to understand math and science-based subjects. This is the only way that they will be able to deal with the challenges that we are faced with in the sector,” he said.
Training is also needed to meet the demand of the technological revolution.
Shortage of materials
The shortage of construction materials continues to be a major concern. The construction boom demands an increased supply of stone, cement, zinc sheets and other materials.
During 2011-2013, there was a shortage of aggregates: quarry production stood at approximately 680,000 tonnes while demand was recorded at 767,106 tonnes.
Moving forward, the chief works officer said, there is greater need for a public-private partnership in the construction sector. (Guyana Times)
