Renovated ‘Customs House’ almost ready for Bureau of Statistics

GUYANA - Finishing touches to what was formerly known as Customs House are almost completed, with the Bureau of Statistics expected to soon move in. This is after major renovations of over $123M that started last year.

Customs House once housed the headquarters of the Guyana Revenue Authority which has since moved to Camp Street. In 2014, the vacant state property was advertised for sale by the state-owned National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), under the previous administration. There were reports that a buyer was found, but there were no official announcements. Former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, had made it clear that his government had no intention of putting it to use for any government purpose. The iconic building, next to Palm Court, saw a $48M civil works contract last year to Project Design and Construction Incorporated. The second component – electrical works – was awarded to Cummings Electrical for $26M. For security and data network installation, NT Computeac, was hired for $27M. Another $21M in a contract was awarded to Antarctic Maintenance for air conditioning units.

In 2015, Chief Statistician Lennox Benjamin, said that this was a provision made by Government to have permanent headquarters for the country’s central statistical office. He added that the Bureau has been established since 1987, but this is the first time it will have a permanent home. The Bureau is responsible for conducting censuses, collecting, compiling, analyzing and publishing socio-economic and other statistical data, coordinating with other government departments in compiling, analyzing and publishing statistics derived from administrative records and organizing a coordinated scheme of social and economic statistics for Guyana. The bureau was formerly housed east of the Parliament Buildings in a structure that has since been torn down and converted into a park.

(kaieteurnews.com)