Stabroek News
March 14, 2001

The Ministry of Education on Monday signed a $74.9 million contract with Guyadin Construction Company Limited for the rehabilitation of Queen's College (QC) exactly two months after Cabinet had awarded the contract.

The rehabilitation works, set to start on March 26, will begin just over three years and four months since a major portion of the school was gutted by fire in November 1997.

According to a Guyana Information Services (GIS) release, the contract was signed in the Ministry of Education Boardroom by Education Minister Dr Dale Bisnauth, Permanent Secretary in the ministry Hydar Ally; Chairman of the QC Board of Governors Ronald Alli and a representative of the contracting firm. Bisnauth expressed relief that "at long last this project will begin."

Consultant to the project is Orin Hinds from Orin Hinds and Associates who has done the final design which includes most of the concepts that were put together by the board, past students and the school's support groups.

The signing of the contract followed an announcement made by former Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon exactly two months ago at a press briefing at the GTV 11 studio.

There he had announced that Cabinet had awarded a $93.6 million-contract to Guyadin Constructing Company for the reconstruction of the administrative block and auditorium of QC.

These sections were among portions of the school gutted by the November 1997 fire.

Of the contract sum, $50 million has come from central government funding for which provision was made in last year's budget. It was brought forward under a special arrangement with the school board. Generally, funds allocated by central government and unspent at the end of the year have to be returned. The remaining sum for the reconstruction comes from the board and other donors.

The GIS release quoted the Permanent Secretary as saying that the contract covers the first phase of the rehabilitation programme but he did not say what the first phase would include.

The release further quoted Ally as saying that government had made a commitment to assist in the rehabilitation in the aftermath of the fire. He said "I am pleased we have reached the point of signing the contract for the rehabilitation of the building. It is going to be a very substantial rehabilitation."

Ally also said that additional allocations will be proposed for next year's budget to continue construction until the building is fully completed.

In an invited comment, QC Principal Wendel Roberts told the GIS that the students and staff were overjoyed and she was "particularly happy" to witness the signing of the contract, noting that it was a significant step towards the restoration of the school building.

In a telephone interview following the announcement by Dr Luncheon, Alli had told Stabroek News that once the contract was signed he had anticipated that the work would be completed within a four to six-month period.

He explained that the sections which will be rebuilt will make available more rooms for teaching, as those used for administrative purposes and staff rooms will be replaced along with an auditorium.

This new section will be located between the east and west wings and linked by corridors.

To facilitate construction work in the current phase of the project it is expected that the contractor will conduct double shifts, which would include working at night. The school might also be required to hold double sessions.

The reconstruction of the entire burnt out section of QC is expected to cost some $400 million and should be completed by 2005. The rebuilding is to be done in several phases.

Initially it had been anticipated that the first phase of the reconstruction would have begun at the start of June last year but that date had been brought put back month by month due to a number of hiccups. (Miranda La Rose)