NIDCO: All systems go for Interchange

On Wednesday, Imbert said he had instructed his ministry’s engineers "to ensure that construction of the Interchange commences before December 2005. Speaking afterwards with Newsday, Imbert said the project will be done in stages and would not be done by the ministry, but will be tendered out to contractors. The Minister later met with Canadian consultants, Cansult, and discussed traffic management options during the various phases of the interchange project.

NIDCO, was formed in March to help the Works and Transport Ministry to execute its key Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) projects — the top priority one being the Interchange.

In a telephone interview with Newsday from London, NIDCO chairman David Brash said the company is currently in operationalisation mode and tenders will soon be going out for the Interchange project. Brash said Imbert’s projections about how the project would proceed were realistic and in sync with NIDCO’s.

The NIDCO chairman added that work on the Interchange could start around mid-September and the company is committed to doing its part to ensure that work proceeds in a timely and efficient manner.

NIDCO was one of several limited liability companies formed since February in order to assist government ministries to execute key PSIP projects within their portfolios. Others formed to date are the Education Facilities Company Ltd and the Rural Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago. Prime Minister Patrick Manning has also announced the creation of the Tobago Development Company, another limited liability entity that would address the needs of the sister isle.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Christine Sahadeo said these companies would be project management in nature, their operations would be above board and would be wound up once their mandates had been fulfilled. Sahadeo indicated that the Health Ministry did not need the assistance of a limited liability company for projects under its portfolio because of initiatives being taken by incumbent Health Minister John Rahael.

She added that management remains the main issue in the health sector and Government is exploring options in this area.