Articles

CDB and DFC Launches new BZ $40 Million Credit Line in Belize

On January 31, 2018, under the theme “Facilitating DFC’s Developmental Mandate,” the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) launched CDB’s 8th Consolidated Line of Credit to the DFC.

This new BZD40 Million (mn) credit line, guaranteed by the Government of Belize, enables the DFC to continue financing, on affordable terms, market segments that are not readily catered for by the commercial banks and other financial institutions. These include priority sectors such as small and medium size enterprises, student loans, low income housing and energy efficiency / renewable energy projects.

The Credit Line is complimented by a technical grant of BZD370,000 for institutional strengthening and capacity building, as well as supporting due diligence for climate risk assessment of sub projects.

Between 2009 and 2016 CDB made BZD80 mn available to DFC in long term financing, half of which was approved in 2016.

Peter Blackman, Portfolio Manager, Private Sector Development Unit, CDB stated, “Given the higher incidence of poverty in rural Belize, providing funds to DFC for support to agriculture is a strategic investment in the country’s development and especially in providing opportunities for rural households to earn income.”

Blackman indicated that housing was the most conspicuous aspect of social provision and highlighted some of the additional benefits to be derived from home ownership, including access to finance, particularly for education.

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Govt moves towards e-tendering

STATE agencies TSTT and iGovTT, jointly hosted a breakfast ceremony for about 100 guests at the Hyatt Regency Port of Spain yesterday to celebrate the signing of a memorandum of understanding between them for e-tendering services.

Ironically, even though the MoU is intended to make the procurement process for government contracts more efficient by increasing transparency and accountability, when Newsday tried to ascertain the cost of hosting such a lavish event, the paper was told that the parties “did not want to get into specifics.”

Telecoms service provider TSTT’s e-tender software was developed by the company in 2012, and has since then been used in the company’s procurement processes.

The MoU with iGovTT, the information and communication technology (ICT) arm of the government, will hopefully allow the state to start integrating e-tendering solutions to all its contracts, starting as early as next month with iGovTT transactions.

It provides the governing framework to jointly market and implement TSTT’s e-Tender software to 22 ministries, 119 state companies and 135 statutory bodies.

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28 bids for construction of Onverwagt fire station

The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) opened several tenders yesterday with significant interest shown for the construction of a new fire station at Onverwagt in the West Berbice area.

In the first session, tenders were opened for the Ministry of Public Security – a Financial Consultancy service to conduct a diagnostic, identifying the needs and constraints of the police performance, and capacity, and the design and implementation of a human resource management plan and performance assessment framework for Guyana Police Force.

The Ministry of Business and the Guyana Tourism Authority are moving to shortlist a number of companies in the US and Germany to market Guyana. The companies shortlisted are:

The Ministry of Natural Resources wants a company to supply, deliver and install of a computer server:

The Guyana Defence Force is looking for suppliers of building materials for its Base at Tacama.

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Image:  Kính Tran (Pexels)

BIDS OPENED FOR NEW JETTY AT ROAD BAY Project Paving Way For Deep Water Harbour At Corito

Plans for the construction of a new cargo jetty at Road Bay, Sandy Ground, moved closer to reality on Monday, January 29. That was when four bids were opened at a meeting of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority at La Vue, overlooking the scenic port. The opening of the bids was performed by Chief Procurement Officer, Ms. Ludiane Leveret-Richardson.

Following are the bidders and the amount of each bid:
• Windwards Roads BV
Harbour View, Philipsburg,
Great Bay, St. Maarten; along with
Anguilla Roads and Construction, Inc.
Amount: EC$45,648,128.00

• Edgehill Associates, Caribbean Ltd.
C/o John Dyrud, First Anguilla Trust, The Valley, Anguilla, with Regional Office in Barbados.
Amount: EC$31,298,167.00
• Meridian Construction Company Ltd.
Road Bay, Tortola, BVI

Amount: EC$59,256,282.90

• Soletanche Batchy
Cimas SA
Zentai Building, Tower 1, 703
Bogota, Columbia.
Amount: EC$60,126,203.86

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Region Two completes award of capital works contracts

RESIDENTS living in Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam) will soon be experiencing tremendous transformation in almost all sectors since the Region’s Tender Board (RTB) has completed the awarding of its capital projects for 2018.

This is according to Regional Executive Officer (REO), Rupert Hopkinson, who said 2018 is a truly transformational period for Region Two and residents can expect significant infrastructural changes.

He said that all of the capital projects have been awarded except those that have to go to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board. Current projects, he said, are now being advertised. “All we need to develop Region Two is co-operation from the various NDCs and the RDC. One beautiful thing is that we are prepared to work this year with them to make things happen,” Hopkinson said.

Some of the Capital projects awarded included rehabilitation of State House Anna Regina Phase 4; rehabilitation of South Gate Westbury; rehabilitation of Unu Creek sluice; construction of a timber revetment at Riverstown Creek Phase 2; rehabilitation of drainage and canal embankment at Amazon, Charity; rehabilitation of box culvert at Perseverance; upgrading of road network at Cotton Field compound; and the rehabilitation of the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, among other projects.

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