Ministry of Planning aims to improve construction process

Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie wants to reduce the red tape surrounding construction projects. However, he said that will be on condition that all new projects stay true to the rule of law and reason. 

He warned that his ministry would not be as kind to projects that did not provide sufficient parking, for example. Tewarie made his statements during the recent ceremonial unveiling of a cornerstone plaque to mark the start of construction on a seven storey building to be located at 5 Gray Street, St Clair.  

He was on hand to commission the start of the uniquely designed, multi million dollar project which will be completed by May 2014. The project is a wholly-owned venture of Ginamco Limited and will be financed through a loan facility with Republic Bank Limited.

In a brief address, Amer Haidar of Gunamco Caribbean Limited was high in praise of the interest paid by the minister to the project. He said he was deeply grateful for the assistance which Tewarie provided to help make it a reality. “Minister Tewarie is a man of vision who understands the role that the private sector is required to play in the development of T&T,” he said.

Haidar said the project was his way of expressing his confidence in the economy and people of T&T and he hoped many other private sector stakeholders would follow his lead and break ground on much needed construction projects across the country.

Tewarie said his ministry plans to re-classify lands throughout the country and he appealed to the banking sector to partner with the government in its plans to re-develop East Port-of-Spain. He also vowed to bring the quarrying sector under the full control of the law and to make illegal and unsustainable mining a thing of the past.   

The project was designed by Architect Elie El-Hajaly and will be constructed by Ginamco Ltd. It is expected that ground will be broken on April 1 and construction should take approximately 12-13 months to complete. The building will be the new country headquarters for one of the biggest service companies in the world.