Some rural communities to get fire tenders

Government has cleared a $67.8 million contract for the procurement of vehicles for the Guyana Fire Service with provisions to service rural communities.

Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon announced on Friday at his weekly press briefing that the contract is in response to the need for replacements, in addition to the need to make provisions in rural areas.

Luncheon said the details as to which rural communities are being targeted would be forthcoming from the Government Information Agency (GINA) since his memory “is not what it used to be”.

This was in response to a question as to whether Lethem is likely to benefit from the provisions. A fire recently devastated a popular business establishment in the community.

Luncheon also reported that a contract was awarded for the supply, delivery and installation of field equipment for the Guyana Livestock Development Agency breed enhancement programme. He said the GLDA award of $20.26 million is aimed at its cattle enhancement project.

Luncheon said also that $22.2 million has been approved for a contract in the education sector for the construction and delivery of furniture for schools in the Georgetown district.

He noted that the bulk of the sum would go to the Guyana Technical Institute (GTI) and the Guyana Industrial Training College (GITC); both state agencies often receive contracts for the provision of wooden furniture at city schools.

Further, under Amerindian Affairs, a $28.69 million contract was cleared for the procurement of agricultural equipment for Amerindian communities in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9.