There needs to be strict adherence to project guidelines

Robeson Benn
Robeson Benn

– Benn tells contractors

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn is urging contractors on government projects to understand the importance of completing them  within budget, on time, and with the highest standards of quality and safety.

According to a Ministry of Home Affairs release, the Minister made these remarks on Monday at the signing of the nine capital projects contracts for the Guyana Police Force worth some $963 million which took place at the ministry’s boardroom on Brickdam, Georgetown. He emphasised the need for “strict adherence” to project guidelines, stating, “All projects should be completed at or within budget. There should not be any surprises. We’ve noticed some issues with the time and the quality, which seem to stem from a lack of attention to the contract’s distinct terms and conditions. It’s crucial that we all, as a team, understand and adhere to these conditions for successful project delivery.”

Benn referenced a recent engagement and commented on what he had learned there. “Earlier, I met with the New York Police Department. We spoke on the soft issues: improvements in police culture, how they treat people, the empathy they show people, and police diversity. But all of that will not be possible unless we do these things to put in the physical infrastructure that will match our desired policing and increase public safety and security in the country.”  

Benn also stressed the importance of quality and safety in project execution. “Quality and timely delivery within budget is of utmost importance. Safety is especially important. We don’t want people injured on our projects. There’s money in these contracts to outfit your people with safety wear, helmets, safety boots, gloves, etc. And we want them to have those. We encourage you to pay attention to engineering contract management. You need to pay attention to your technician, engineer, and employees to get the job done in the way it’s meant to be done in the contracts.”

He also advised contractors not to fall into the trap of not taking the government seriously. “We terminated a few contracts last month because people didn’t take us seriously. We were not the first government agency to do that. But we are coming under tremendous pressure to meet what is called the Public Sector Investment Programme [PSIP].”

In his closing remarks, Benn called for enhanced communication and collaboration. “I want to encourage you to inform us if there is a problem. If you have difficulties, let us know as soon as possible. If we have challenges that you think we could work with, let us know early. We have our engineers, the Perma-nent Secretary, Mr. (Andre) Ally, and others. Let us work on this together to get it done. So, thank you all very much, and let’s work on this together.”

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary echoed the Minister’s statement and highlighted the crucial role that timely and high-quality project completion plays in the country’s economic growth and security. “The economy is rapidly growing, and the rate at which we complete these projects is directly correlated to the security of the country and the quality to which it is done. With that being said, I expect that all contracts are executed within scope and within time and, most importantly, with quality being top priority.”

Addressing the contractors directly, he noted, “The fact that you’re all sitting in this room means you’re all  seasoned contractors. You would have executed contracts previously for this or a similar amount. We have a full team of engineers who will be supervising these projects.”

The Permanent Secretary also reiterated the importance of adhering to the project requirements: “As I mentioned, I expect all the projects to be finished within time, within the scope and budget, to the best of quality. I reiterated that because that’s most important, and that’s the bottom line.”

And in an effort to ensure compliance and progress, he also warned, “We will be managing these projects and checking in with you. If you fall behind, we’ll be sending you letters.”