The government has strengthened technical oversight, international engineering supervision and continuous quality testing to manage the unprecedented scale of infrastructure development underway countrywide, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill said.
The centre of that oversight is the ministry’s Work Services Group (WSG), a specialised unit of engineers and other technical professionals that manages projects across the country, the minister added. He praised the Work Services Group and noted that the ministry also has its own Designs Department that designs many projects. The ministry operates its own laboratory to test construction materials and monitor quality, and its Audit Department includes engineers who conduct technical assessments of ongoing works.
The minister explained that testing goes beyond checking numbers and involves engineers ensuring quality. He said maintaining quality requires constant monitoring, beginning long before a road or bridge is completed, and stated that engineering is a science, not just mixing concrete, as Guyana builds resilient infrastructure.
For major infrastructure projects, the ministry has supplemented its internal capacity with international engineering consultants operating under FIDIC standards, the minister said. He said the international consultants provide an additional layer of independent technical supervision and help ensure projects are delivered to international standards. An Italian consultant, Polytechnica, was used when building the Demerara River Bridge. The same FIDIC engineering consultancy’s firm is supervising the Linden Wismar‑Mackenzie Bridge. An international consultancy firm is involved in building the Linden‑Soesdyke Highway. Similar international consultancy arrangements are in place for the Soesdyke‑Linden Highway rehabilitation, the Good Success‑Timehri Road project, the East Coast Demerara Road corridor and the Ogle‑Eccles Road. The minister said this is what happens around the world in any major project.
The minister acknowledged that the significant increase in construction has not been without challenges, but said the ministry has continued to strengthen its project‑management capacity. He said the combination of the ministry’s engineers, laboratory testing, technical audits and external consultants provides multiple layers of oversight as development continues across Guyana.
