Red House ready by December

THE Prime Minister has said the renovation of the historic Red House will be completed by year-end, replying to a question during Prime Minister’s Question Time yesterday in the House of Representatives.

Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial had initially asked about the cost.

In reply, Dr Rowley said the Government had committed $408 million to the project, of which $244 million has been spent to date. He said this was $100 million less than the $500 million estimated cost under the former People’s Partnership.

Quipping that his Government would not take 15 years to do the renovation, he said, “We expect the project to be completed by the end of the year.”

The original deadline for completion was last November.

Replying to a supplemental query by Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh, the PM said the Government had quite properly broken down the project into 17 packages, into which local contractors have a high input, in contrast to the former government having awarded the full project to one entity.