Fanny Village Govt Primary not forgotten

“We are taking measures to ensure that those who were responsible for the design would be held accountable, because we cannot understand how a school could be built in a swamp. In addition to that, we have identified a number of schools that we are going to continue the construction and as soon as we have the requisite funds, the Fanny Village Government School would be among those that we would be constructing,” Garcia had stated.

But following statements by former Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh who questioned the amount of money spent on the incomplete school, the Ministry gave a time line on the school’s building programme and subsequent stalling of that programme.

The Ministry noted that in September 2005, the Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL) was mandated to provide “project management, designs, construction services and outfitting for twenty one (21) replacement government primary schools of which Fanny Village Government Primary School was included.” A contract was awarded to Ashana Civil Mechanical Contracting Limited in July 2008 in the sum of $39,454,887.79 for a package consisting of Cap-de- Ville Government Primary, Fanny Village Primary and Fanny Village ECCE. “Progress was hampered by slow and inadequate supply of design related information to the contractor,” the Ministry stated, adding that the original design consultant was subsequently fired and a new design contractor hired.

Another contractor was also hired and presented two options as the way forward: firstly, structural retrofitting of all existing structural members at an estimated cost of $33,400,000. Secondly, restricting all blocks to single storey buildings, limited structural retrofitting and redesign of the roofs to make them lighter.

This option was estimated to cost $27,700,000.

EFCL subsequently selected the second option and awarded a contract initially valued at $19,100,000.00 VAT Exclusive.