$1.5b to be spent on road, bridge works
THE major component of the Chinese-funded Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP) is finally getting off the ground with yesterday’s signing of nine contracts amounting to $1.5 billion for road and bridge works in five parishes.
The Government inked a preferential agreement with China Ex-Im Bank to implement the $40.8-billion (US$352 million) MIDP more than two years ago, but to date only projects under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) component of the programme have been carried out. JEEP accounts for US$50 million of MIDP.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the ministry’s Maxfield Avenue office in Kingston, portfolio minister Dr Omar Davies took a swipe at the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP), MIDP’s predecessor. The Government, from the outset of its term in office, has tried to distance itself from JDIP, despite the fact that MIDP bears some similarities to the JDIP, which was implemented under the previous Jamaica Labour Party Administration.
“Under JDIP, perhaps only God himself and one other (person) knew how subcontractors were selected. I have tried to find out how did this group of subcontractors got selected — no one (knew). Under this programme, there are bids, and everyone must be transparent,” Dr Davies said.
At the same time, the minister cautioned against political interference, saying: “I know that there is the demand for work, but this is about getting value for money in terms of every single contract. I think the society has now passed the stage where anyone feels his power is in terms of ‘allowing’ work to take place”.
The road projects include Mineral Heights to Dawkins Pen (through Hayes), Clarendon, awarded for $238.4 million to S&G Road Surfacing; Riley (Dias) to Glasgow in Hanover to be carried out at a cost of $360.7 million by Surrey Paving and Aggregate; Silver Spring to Santoy, to Green Island, Westmoreland, to be carried out by Chin’s Construction for $165.5 million; Santoy to Orange Bay awarded to Cemex Jamaica Limited for $40.9 million Fellowship through Winsor and Seaman’s Valley, to Mooretown, in Portland awarded to Dwight’s Construction for $143.3 million; and Sheffield to Silver Spring awarded to Alcar Construction for $41.2 million.
Bridge works will be carried out at Silent Hill in Clarendon by Alcar Construction at a cost of $21.9 million; Latium in St James by Cemex at a cost of $22.4 million; and Jacobs River I and II, in Portland also by Cemex at a cost of $21.2 million. The National Works Agency, which is to supervise the projects, said the works are to begin in two weeks.
MIDP is being funded by a US$300-million loan from the China Ex-Im Bank, and the remainder from the government of Jamaica. Under the arrangement, CHEC is the major contractor, responsible for up to US$220 million of the projects, which are subcontracted to local firms.
