During the month of February, several more contracts were signed and awarded under the $65 million Caribbean Development Bank rehabilitation and reconstruction loan.
Now, nine of 18 consultancy contracts have been signed, three consultancies have been awarded contracts, and six consultancies remain in the tender phase, according to a brief monthly progress fact sheet released by government this month.
The two consultancy contracts most recently awarded were for the construction management of Bregado Flax Educational Centre on Virgin Gorda and for a climate risk vulnerability assessment.
In terms of goods, 15 of 25 contracts have been signed, two suppliers have been awarded contracts, and eight more projects are in the tender phase.
Contracts were signed earlier this year for the supply of marine radios, land mobile radio repeaters, marine repeaters, land mobile radio handhelds, VHF base stations, handheld radios and high frequency base stations.
Another goods contract was also awarded for seismic and weather monitoring equipment.
Monetary breakdown
The total budget for all 18 consultancy projects is roughly $8.1 million, while the budget for the 25 goods projects is about $4.56 million, the document reported.
Of the consultancies, as of last month signed contracts made up about $3.96 million; awarded contracts $313,658; and tender-phase projects about $2.18 million.
For goods, signed contracts made up $575,208; awarded contracts $105,400; and tender-phase projects about $2.31 million.
DDM building, ESHS
As for the long-sought new Department of Disaster Management building, the fact sheet reported that a tender document for the rehabilitation of the building would be “launched shortly.”
Former Premier Dr. Orlando Smith announced in February 2018 that about $4 million of the CDB loan would be devoted to funding the facility.
DDM officials had requested funds for a new building for at least seven years, even warning that the former facility would not be fit to serve as the National Emergency Operations Centre in the event of a catastrophic disaster. In September 2017, the building was largely destroyed during Hurricane Irma.
A bid opening for the L-shaped building of Elmore Stoutt High School also took place in late January, the document reminded, and the tender process is in its final stage.
“The objective is to start the works as soon as possible so that the building can be ready for the upcoming school year,” the fact sheet said.
Community meetings were also “successfully” held in Road Town, East End, and Cane Garden Bay, and “allowed community members to obtain more information on the RRL and share questions and concerns with regards to the implementation of the different projects,” the document reported.