Infrastructure

More local content agreed for India-funded East Bank to East Coast road: The construction of the Indiafunded Eccles to Ogle road is one step closer as four firms have been short-listed to bid and the development comes even as this country made inroads in negotiating for increased local content participation. Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told Stabroek News that the pre-qualified companies are Ascons Infrastructure Limited, JMC Projects (India Limited), Ashoka Buildcon Limited and Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Limited. He explained that Georgetown was also able to secure modifications in the contract with New Delhi that would now see enhanced local content participation and he credited Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa for helping to lobby for this country. “When the draft tender document was sent and we were discussing it, one of the clauses stated that if the contractor was going to sub contract any of the work the sub-contractor must also come from India. We were able to have that clause adjusted and changed. So whomever is the successful contractor can now sub contract Guyanese contractors, as against only being able to sub-contract Indian sub-contractors. That was a significant shift,” the Minister explained. “The Indian High Commissioner must be singled out and applauded for the role he played in making it happen. His understanding the Guyanese context allowed for those adjustments and we are thankful,” he added. A former junior Minister of Finance, Edghill explained that contracts which are foreign-funded require the contractor to come from those jurisdictions. As in the case with the East Bank to Eccles road, the four companies pre-qualified to lead the construction are all from India.