Manning (H): Govt has approved $378M for construction in Education

Government has approved $378  million for the Ministry of Education to launch the 2003 — 2006 Construction Development Programme, which includes the upgrade and rehabilitation of existing buildings, construction of new buildings and general improvements to structures which fall under the Ministry’s portfolio.

This was yesterday revealed by Education Minister Hazel Manning as she stated that the estimated cost of the programme titled “Ready To Move” was in excess of $2 billion. Manning made the disclosure before Ministry officials, TTUTA representatives, teachers and students, as well other key stakeholders in the education sector, at the official launching of the project at the Crowne Plaza Hotel yesterday. In delivering the feature address, Manning assured persons the ministry was “ON THE MOVE,” but added that in implementing the project, she would not “tolerate another Biche fiasco” and that “professionals must do a proper job.”  Implementation will be carried out by two main agencies, the National Maintenance Training Security Company (NMTS) and the National Insurance Property Development Company (NIPDEC). Other strategic partners for this construction programme include the Petroleum Company of TT (PETROTRIN), the Secondary Education Modernization Programme Coordination Unit (SEMPCU), the Education Programme Coordination Unit (EPCU) and the Education Facilities Maintenance Unit (EFMU).

She re-emphasized that government had ranked Education as the top national priority, and stressed that the majority of primary schools were old and technologically outdated.  NIPDEC will oversee the construction of five new secondary schools, the Malabar Secondary School, two secondary schools in Westmoorings, Parvati Girls Secondary School and the Shiva Boys Secondary School,  which will begin this year. Construction work is due to begin in may 2003 on 13 replacement Primary Schools, at an estimated cost of $130 million, claimed Manning. NIPDEC will look after the technical upgrade programme for the transformation and modernization of over 100 secondary schools over the next three years. The average cost to improve each secondary school will be approximately $10 million, while the total aspect of the programme would be approximately $1000 million over a period of three years. At least 100 schools will be upgraded by SEMPCU and NIPDEC, and will be funded by both the government and the Inter American Development Bank, Manning stated.

MTS will be looking after the security and fencing aspect for 33 secondary schools, five of which are already under way. A minimum of 20 registered local contractors are to be used, at an estimated cost of $28 million, and will be completed by July 2003. To ensure Transparency and Competitiveness, Manning said they had requested NIPDEC to open their registrations of contractors and consultants in 2003, so that additional contractors can register and be pre-qualified. Manning concluded that experience has shown that productivity increased and quality improved when payments were made to contractors, and assured persons that payments would be timely. Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Orville London said he was happy to have been invited to deliver remarks at the ceremony, as it indicated that development was taking place both in Trinidad and Tobago. He said the Education Minister was finally “walking the talk,” and added that this signaled the beginning of a long process which would be a challenge to everyone involved.