Housing Ministry to award hundreds of contracts in two weeks

With massive infrastructural works ongoing across the country, Minister of Housing and Water, Colin Croal on Monday announced that hundreds of contracts will be awarded within the next two weeks for new projects to be undertaken.

“Within two weeks or so we will be awarding hundreds of contracts because there are various lots, at least about 21 new areas,” Croal told members of the media on Monday afternoon.

The projects, Croal said have already completed the tender and evaluation process.

“It’s going through the awarding stage. We have already gone out to tender. They have already completed the evaluation,” he said.

But apart from the new projects, Croal pointed out that there are a number of ongoing works which are scheduled to be completed this year.

These include the Eccles to Diamond four-lane highway which will be completed by mid-year and the Eccles Industrial Site Access road.

The Eccles project, Croal noted, is being executed in phases by different contractors.

“About $1.2 billion is being spent on that area…All works are expected to be completed by the end of next month. We have gone a far way,” Croal told reporters.

During his presentation of Budget 2023, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh told the National Assembly that a total of $54.5 billion has been set aside for housing development in new and existing areas, including the construction of roads, drains and bridges and the installation of utilities to meet housing demands.