The Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar yesterday participated in a ‘Caribbean Development in the Construction and Infrastructure Sectors’ Webinar.
Also participating in Thursday’s session were Ethan Talbott, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer- US Embassy, Joanne Littlefair, Senior International Trade Specialist- US Department of Commerce, Izalia Lopez, Director of Promotion- Public-Private Alliances Administration and Steve Garibsingh, Vice President Engineering and Programme Management National Infrastructure Development Company Limited.
Other countries that participated in the webinar included The Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States of America.
During the session, Minister Indar presented Guyana’s long-term Transformational Infrastructural plans.
Public Infrastructure
He presented current Infrastructural projects being implemented, which include: roads, highways, bridges, stellings, sea defenses, and river transport.
Energy Infrastructure
With regards to energy Infrastructure, the Minister presented renewable energy projects being pursued by Government and Oil and Gas infrastructure to support offshore operations.
These include shore bases, lay down yards, chemical storage facilities, and a 300 MW gas to power plant.
Minister Indar also cited the opportunities available for input materials for the development of these projects, which include cement, steel, crusher run, bitumen, electrical cables, conduits, etcetera.
Aviation Infrastructure
Concerning Aviation expansion in Guyana, Minister Indar explained that the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will soon be completed. The Minister also signaled the Government’s intention to rehabilitate and upgrade local Hinterland airstrips, for the ease of mobility into the Hinterland Regions.
Construction Permits and The Procurement Act 2003
During his remarks, the Public Works Minister explained the permitting system for new entrances into Guyana with respect to construction work.
He explained the process for various permits that are required for the different types of construction work.
He also took the time to explain the broad principles outlined in the Procurement Act, for Public Procurement.
In closing, the Minister thanked the U.S Commercial Office for inviting him to speak at the event.
