Opposition Leader Flags $18M Rental Cost and Alleges Overpricing

By Shenecka Paul | HGP Nightly News |

VREED-EN-HOOP, WEST COAST DEMERARA — Construction on the modern $979 million Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School remains significantly delayed months past its contracted delivery date, drawing sharp criticism from Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who warned that missed deadlines are burdening taxpayers with unnecessary temporary accommodation costs while leaving over 500 students displaced.

The state-of-the-art educational facility, being built at Crane, West Coast Demerara, was commissioned to alleviate severe overcrowding in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) secondary schools. However, despite initial commitments from the Ministry of Education that the complex would be delivered within a nine-month window, construction remains incomplete heading into the 2026–2027 school year.

Six Months Past Delivery Deadline: $18M Spent Annually on Rental

During an on-site inspection, the Opposition Leader pointed out that the facility was slated to be finished and handed over by the first quarter of 2026:

• Sod-Turning Timeline: The ceremonial sod-turning was held on June 18, 2025, led by then-Minister of Education (and current Minister of Local Government) Priya Manickchand alongside regional representatives and contracted engineering firms.
• The Nine-Month Mandate: State officials explicitly committed to a strict nine-month construction schedule, establishing a formal delivery target for March 2026.
• Ongoing Private Lease: Because the permanent building was not ready for the September academic term, displaced secondary students are being accommodated at a privately owned commercial building along New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop.
• Mounting Rental Burden: Mohamed revealed that the state is paying approximately $1.5 million (GYD) per month to lease the private premises, amounting to an annual recurring cost of $18 million (GYD) solely due to contractor delays.

“On the 18th of June, 2025, Priya Manickchand along with contractors, they had the sod turning to construct the new Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School to house over 500 students… As you can see they are way behind schedule. The completion date should have been in March of 2026,” Mohamed stated.

“They are schooling some of the students at the building owned by a private individual, on New Road Vreed-en-Hoop. Every month they got to pay 1.5 million dollars. A total of $18 million dollars a year, because the school is way behind schedule.”

Overpricing Concerns and Contractor Oversight

Beyond schedule overruns, Mohamed challenged the fundamental capital valuation of the school complex, asserting that the scope of works does not reflect value for money:

• Valuation Disparity: Mohamed argued that based on technical parameters for comparable educational structures, a facility of this size should cost no more than approximately $300 million, declaring that the awarded $979.6 million contract represents substantial overpricing.
• The Multi-Lot Contractors: The school’s construction was divided across four separate lots to fast-track delivery, awarded to K&S General Construction, D&S Construction, Ele’s Trading and Hardware, and PS23 Construction.
• Supervisory Engineering Silence: Technical consultancy and day-to-day supervisory oversight for the entire project was contracted to GR Engineering. When contacted by HGP Nightly News to explain the six-month delay and identify which specific lots were lagging, a representative indicated that the managing director would not comment on the matter.

With the Christmas school term already underway, parents, educators, and the parliamentary opposition continue to call on Minister of Education Sonia Parag to hold the contracted firms accountable, enforce defect and delay penalties, and bring an immediate end to multi-million-dollar temporary leases.