Some 120 hinterland students pursuing tertiary education on the coast, will be housed in a spanking new dormitory facility for the September school term, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
The facility is being built at the cost of $183m.
Trilloyd Allen, Civil Engineer, Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs said that the project is approximately 40 percent done, and the estimated work on the building is currently at about $55M. The materials on site to cater for the roof and the flooring brings the amount to some $80M expended on the project to date.
“…The signing of the contract was actually done on May 3, and so, the project is expected to be completed by June 30,” Allen told DPI.
Once completed, the facility will include sixteen apartments, each housing six students. The apartments will feature a kitchenette, toilet and bath area and also a study area, while the dormitory itself will also have a cooking area, a library, and a playroom.
The facility caters for those students pursuing an education at the University of Guyana, the Cyril Potter College of Education, the Government Technical Institute and Carnegie School of Home Economics.
Currently, the Ministry has a Hinterland Dorm Facility to house secondary-aged students. Allen explained that a fence will be constructed to separate the two buildings.
Additionally, a road leading directly to the new facility will be constructed, to avoid students having to pass through the current construction site. Permission has already been granted by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission to have the road built.
DPI said the project is a rollover from the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry’s 2017 Budget. This year, some $90M was allocated for its completion. The contractor for the project is BK International and it is being supervised by Kalitech Inc., a consultancy firm.
