Contractors want emergency team

Contractors in the construction industry are proposing the urgent establishment of an emergency team, to look at ways of removing obstacles to accessing government contracts.

They say such a team should include construction industry representatives and persons from the relevant government bodies.

The MSME Alliance, Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, and Construction Industry Council, say the emergency team needs to look at registration particularly for those contractors whose last registration expired before March 31.

The groups say those contractors will not benefit from a recently announced extended registration period and have been waiting well beyond the prescribed time for a determination of their application.

The groups say the suggestion is being put forward, following cries for a Construction Emergency Employment Programme to address the immediate employment concerns of hundreds of contractors.

Several contractors have not been able to bid on government contracts, as their applications for re-registration have been withdrawn from the National Contracts Commission’s Works Contractor Application Process.

The applications were reportedly withdrawn following the discovery of discrepancies in the registration process.

editorial@gleanerjm.com