Construction of the $15.8 Billion Government Office Complex at the new Eccles/Haags Bosch Roundabout on the East Bank of Demerara is 10% complete, two years after the contract was signed for works t begin.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill made the disclosure last Friday, as he was grilled in the Committee of Supply on the multibillion-dollar project. At the time, he was seeking approval for the sum of $1 Billion to advance the project.

The Public Works Minister explained that while the contract for the construction of the four -12 storey office complex was signed in December 2022, it was not until February 23, 2024 that the commencement order was issued to the contractor due to a change in location.

The Government changed the site location from Eccles/Mandela to Eccles/Haags Bosch, and increased the acreage of the land from seven to twenty acres.

“So, the status now, from the time of the commencement order, 10% of the project has been physically completed, while 34% of the time has elapsed. That’s where we are, 34% of the time for construction has elapsed, 10% of the work has been completed,” Minister Edghill explained.

Opposition Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson said she has been monitoring the project’s development and she told the Committee of Supply that she was shocked when she visited the site and found it empty, even after billions have already been poured into the project.

“Mr. Chair, this one- billion-dollar that is being requested for this mysterious 12 storey building will now give us a total figure of $8.6B from 2022 to 2025. But Mr. Chair, I have news for the honorable member because I visited, and this is what I have seen on the location, trucks mooring in to load up with aggregates and stone. This is what is happening on the site,” MP Ferguson told the Committee as she waved a recent photo of the project site.

Minister Edghill told the Committee that given the complexities of the buildings, significant foundation work is required. He said at the time of his visit on January 2, 2025, the contractor was preparing to drive piles in the ground at the site identified for tower one. 

“They were actively driving piles in the utility section and to move to the actual tower one, driving of piles,” he said.

Further, he disclosed that Cabinet has approved the travel of a number of engineers to visit factories located in Panama, China, Turkey and Colombia where materials and equipment such as piles, structural steel, prestressed hollow core slabs, and generator sets are being manufactured for the project.

At least one of the engineers will travel to Colombia as early as this week, Minister Edghill said.

Determined to get more answers, MP Ferguson enquired further about the use of the $1B being sought, while the Leader of the Opposition pressed the Public Works Minister for information on the mobilization advance payments made, and breakdown of the more than $7B spent as of December 31, 2024.

Minister Edghill, in response, explained that the sum of $1B will facilitate payments to the supervisory consultant –Vicab Engineering – in addition to other costs associated with the construction of the complex.

He further explained that the mobilization advance totals $2.6B, while six purchase orders issued to date amount to approximately $4.2B for the materials being manufactured.

The 30-month design-build project is now due to be completed by August, 2026. Minister Edghill assured MP Ferguson that the Government will move to terminate the contract if the contractor shows signs of poor work and or extensive delays.

“Our engineers and our managers are doing their best to ensure one, we get value for money in terms of quality, time, delivery and while we are doing our work, minimal interference to the population and ensuring safety. Clear policy directives of how we are going forward. If this contractor and I am telling you now, if this contractor cannot deliver, and we get the early warning signs, and we have to start serving letters of poor performance, I will accompany you when we will go to the site to deliver the termination letter,” he said.

He also assured the Opposition Leader that the project will attract no additional cost.

“This is a fixed price contract. This is a fixed price contract and we have communicated explicit both in writing in the contract, and as well at our project meetings, this project has to be delivered as designed, at the cost within the timeframe. It is explicit,” Minister Edghill assured.

When completed the Office Complex will accommodate 6,000 staff members of the various Govermment Ministries that will be housed in the new location.

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