QC reconstruction targeted for completion in 2005 - Ronald Alli By Miranda La Rose Stabroek News July 9, 2000 The reconstruction of the burnt out section of Queen's College (QC) is expected to cost some $400 million and should be completed by 2005, Chairman of QC Board of Governors, Ronald Alli, said. The rebuilding is to be done in several phases, the first of which is expected to start by September or October. Alli outlined to the International Chapters of Queen's College Executive Committee at QC on Wednesday afternoon, the functions of the school board as well as the work accomplished by the board in the wake of the November 1997 fire which gutted a major portion of the building and destroyed school records. Generally, the past students expressed disappointment that after more than two and a half years of promises by government work was yet to start on rebuilding the main sections of the school. Addressing the past students on the plans for the restoration of the school to its former state, Alli said that the initial phase will require some $75 million to $80 million. Government has committed the sum of $50 million, which was 50% of the $100 million allocated to the Ministry of Education for its Secondary Schools Reform Project (SSRP). However, according to this year's Estimates of the Public Sector Central Government Development Programme Capital Projects Profiles, the sum of $100 million was earmarked for the Ministry of Education for the completion of the Stewartville Primary; the rehabilitation of Queen's College and North Ruimveldt Multilateral School; St George's and South Road nurseries and St Sidwell's and Ketley primaries. Under the Capital Project Profile, the sum of $539.3 million was budgeted for Secondary Reform Project for this year. Alli disputed this saying, "at the beginning of the year, I can say, no funds were allocated in the preliminary budget for QC. So that contrary to what is said we ended up with $50 million." Noting that there was no guarantee that if the $50 million was not spent it would go back to Central Government, Alli said, "we are talking to government that if it is not all utilised the balance will be granted but we are also talking to them about a further $50 million for next year." At present the current and capital budgets are given to the school. He said that "whether the funds are spent in that period, we have the ability to carry forward those funds and use it. We are asking for those same conditionalities to be applied to the $50 million and we hope to have [an answer to] that shortly". In order to raise the $75 million for the completion of the first phase, Alli said, the board was looking at fund raising. The board, he said, was also in the process of obtaining a list of various international foundations which provide grants for educational purposes outside their countries. "We will be approaching them", he said, adding, "we have been making some approaches in the Caribbean, too, to try to increase our funds". Alli appealed to the past students to assist pointing out, however, "at this stage because we do not have all that is required in place, we cannot come to you... we will do a package [then] we will come to you in a short while." He noted that QC enjoyed duty-free concessions and the board was certain that it could almost readily "translate the initial $50 million to $65 million if we take the total figure." He noted, too, that if the material was purchased through the school it would be able to attract discount rates as happened with the rehabilitation works which were undertaken in the wake of the fire. Already such offers had been made to the school by some businesses which were owned or managed by QC past students. The board will be able to contribute an additional $10 million. Alli noted that the Ministry of Education will appoint the board of governors to manage the project in the interim, however, the selection process for the contract will have to go through the government tendering process. The process involves the rehabilitation committee. Asked whether the consultant to oversee the reconstruction would be a foreigner, Alli said that the persons who tendered for the consultant's position were all Guyanese resident here. Asked why he was holding back from disclosing their names, Alli said that until the contractual documents were signed "we are not at liberty to disclose [them]". Meanwhile, he said that the QC Rehabilitation Committee had already discussed with the would-be consultants the tender contract which "includes such modalities as double shifts, which will include working at nights and a double session during the first term to facilitate construction." In spite of all the plans, it was noted at the meeting that there was still no final design for the structures to be put up. According to Alli, inputs into the two separate designs which were circulated to the school's support and interest groups, will be presented to the consultants. "The contract with the consultants also identify that he will do a schematic design in the first place which will portray and involve all the concepts we have put together. From that we will select the final design," Alli said. The consultants will require at least six weeks to present a final plan and lay the groundwork. After that the project will go out to tender and this will involve another three weeks after which the building contract will be awarded. Whatever work was done, Alli assured the past students, each phase of construction will ensure that a structure or structures were completed even though they might not be furnished. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today