By Prior Beharry
THE construction sector is booming in Trinidad and Tobago.
So said Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan speaking during the 2023/2024 Budget debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
He said, “Under the road programme at this point in time we have over 700 contracts where work is being done in this country. And this does not include the major highways.
“Is over two billion dollars in infrastructure that have been awarded and walk is ongoing in the last fiscal year and that is why if you speak the contractors, they will tell you the construct and sector in this country is booming.
“This is something that we had promised that this country, we will rebuild the infrstructure and the contractors are telling you that there’s a lot of work now on the market.
“I can tell you a lot of the contractors who would have migrated or moved some of the equipment to others parts of the Caribbean are bringing in them back. They are now bringing them back.
“And that is a good sign for us here in Trinidad and Tobago. Our construction sector is booming.
“However, we do operate under strict procurement laws at the Ministry og Works and Transport. So once you are willing to come tender pass the technical then the amount of work to be done in this country, we are welcome in contractors.
“We actually have a programme now, where we are trying to train contractors, showing them how to tend properly and giving them advice and direction as to how to get into our programmes. So we do have a lot of work.”
Sinanan said climate change has posed some serious challenges in T&T.
The minister said climate change has ushered in a new era of challenges within increased intense rainfall.
He said, “Our drainage system requires strategic intervention. This year in numerous instances across the globe, drainage systems designed for historical rainfall patterns have proven willfully insufficient against the intense and unprecedented downfall brought on by climate change internationally. It has been recognised that the drainage infrastructure required to handle the escalated volume of rainfall is a critical concern in the face of climate change.
“The ministry is not operated by guess. The ministry recognises that we did a lot of plans in the past and a lot of studies. Nothing that we did was ever utilised, and in 2018 the ministry was quite clear that we had to get a new national strategic drainage plan.”
Sinanan said, “We engage the Ambien Development Bank again on this matter and from grant funding, we were able to now have a consultant on board working on this national drainage plan.
“What we expect from this national drainage plan, is a way forward, how to deal with the whole infrastructure in the country when it comes to drainage because we recognise what is happening with climate change and just a simple desilting programme every year is not going to help. I can say this year, the desiliting programme, did 636 projects never before anything like that and I think if you drive around the country you would recognize that all ranger drive on the highway from Grand Bazaar to Point Fortin. All the rivers have been cleaned. That program was a very intense program this year.”
The minister said the drainage division did over 750 projects, over 600 in desilting alone, and to compliment the desilting recognizing that the desilting is not going to save us, they went into, river walling, river widening and some of the rivers is important that I called some of the work that went in on some of the rivers, so that members of the opposite side will know that all the rivers and their constituencies are also being attended to.
He said, “The Caroni River Rehabilitation Programme Project, we recognize the Caroni River is a major river that brings water all the way from Tamana, all the way down through Arima, straight down to Port- of- Spain. The Caroni River runs all the way through, and a major project is taking place on the Caroni River and to the members of Caroni East, and Chaguanas, and Couva South who always call about the flooding in their area, this project will bring a lot of relief to that area.”
Sinanan said works occurring in areas like:
- Saint Anns River;
- Maraval River;
- Bocheron River;
- Bagatelle Ravine- Diego Martin;
- Guanapo River;
- Oropouche River;
- Donda hill Ravine – Bon Air West;
- The Boys Ravine- Carenage;
- Bagatelle River;
- Caparo River;
- St. Joseph River;
- Laventille road- San Juan;
- Santa Cruz Old Road;
- San Juan River- Santa Cruz;
- La Pastora Garden- Santa Cruz;
- Guapo River- Point Fortin; and
- La Seiva River;
He said, “Our drainage department have stood out this financial year, because all the projects that they were attempting, they were able to get boots on the ground. I know in the Standard Finance Committee some questions will be asked about some of the line items where money wasn’t spent. I can say the drainage department this year has committed over $350 million dollars in drainage projects, with the anticipation of what we’re facing with climate change.”
Sinanan said We are very proactive and that is why we have the services of the Ambien Development Bank consultants going forward and it is just not about again, not about just desilting. It’s a major project to take us forward over the next 10 years, in terms of how we rebuild our drainage infrastructure.
He said, “In terms of our Coastal Protection Unit. This year over several projects have been attempted:
- Captivate Shoreline Stabilisation Works;
- Mayaro Guayaguayare Coastal Management Work;
- Rehabilitation Existing Sea Wall;
- Lady Hills Avenue;
Sinanan said Several other projects are in the works and these projects will continue.
“We see our costal protection unit as a major unit for us because we know what is happening again with climate change and what is happening on the coast. This year we have seven projects, air mark to start under the coastal protection unit.”
He said the Moruga Coastal Protection Work Phase 1 or Tahiti Shoreline Stabilization, Little Rocky Bay Stabilization, the South Manzanilla Shoreline Stabilization, the Paria Main Road Coastal Repair Work, Macqueripe Sea Wall Rehabilitation, Capdeville Shoreline Stabilization and the East Guayaguayare Shoreline Stabilisation, were just some of the projects being attempted this year.
With continuation in further works in Moruga he hoped to open the landside facility in Moruga by the end of November. (With reporting by COSTAATT Intern Faith Edwards)
