Jearlean: Revitalisation contracts coming soon

Trinidad and Tobago is on the cusp of launching a significant national revitalisation initiative, with Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John confirming that contract awards are imminent. The ambitious plan, unveiled last November, is set to usher in a decade-long construction boom, encompassing 129 projects across 12 key development areas. These projects are slated for areas including Port of Spain, Sea Lots, and Carrera Island, with plans for business centers, hotels, hospitals, and housing in San Fernando, Mayaro, and beyond.

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We are moving along; we started on the 14th of November last year, so we went out with the expression of interest and now we are at the request for proposal stage.

John revealed that the government has received an overwhelming response, with 965 submissions during the open tender process, attracting interest from "serious, serious people" globally. The program is projected to be a major economic driver, creating an estimated 72,000 new jobs across a wide spectrum of sectors, from construction and engineering to tourism and finance. The minister emphasized that these opportunities will be tangible for the nation's graduates and workforce.

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Everybody was invited and we got 965 responses. Right now we are at the second stage, the request for proposal, and hopefully they should be doing awards by September, October of this year.

Currently, the revitalisation blueprint is in the request for proposal stage, a critical step following the initial expression of interest. John anticipates that contract awards will be finalized within the next two to three months, with potential for awards by September or October. In parallel, progress is being made on infrastructure repairs, with the work at Mosquito Creek nearing completion after a section of the highway collapsed in January 2023.

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work at Mosquito Creek was “almost finished”.