Montserrat’s Basic Needs Trust Fund Projects to be Completed by Mid-Year

GOM Photo of the current state of the Davy Hill Community Centre.

The community of Hope, Salem will be getting a new water storage tank.

According to a release from the Basic Needs Trust Fund, the procurement and installation of a new tank which will serve the Salem district is one of the projects which will be completed by the middle of 2017.

Contracts were signed on Tuesday December 13th between Axxum Co. Ltd and the Government of Montserrat to procure and install a Glass Fused Water Storage Tank at Hope, Salem. Axxum Co. Ltd was awarded the contract to replace the Water Tank while Eddie’s Trucking was awarded the contract for the demolition and removal. The project is funded under BNTF 7 by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Montserrat. The beneficiary is Montserrat Utilities Limited (MUL).

The Drummonds Sewage Replacement Sub-Project is currently under implementation. Some of the project activities being undertaken are: Construction of an access road, construction of a plinth to accommodate the sewage plant. The sewage plant which is a Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) will serve the Government funded housing stock in Drummonds. Provisions can be made to include other housing communities in the area.

The Banks Road Rehabilitation project is currently underway. A retaining wall has already been constructed. Two contractors have been engaged to undertake concrete work to upgrade the road and drain. The road has been widened to improve drainage and water mains to service the Banks and Shinnland Communities. It also serves as a by-pass for the Brades main road. The improvement is a joint effort between the BNTF and the Public Works Department.

A culvert is being constructed to improve the access and drainage to the site of the St Johns Community Resource Centre.
Completion works to the Centre will also comprise site drainage, kitchen built-ins and other remedial works. BNTF is focusing on completing all work to be in a position to hand the building over to the Ministry of Health, Community Services and the St. Johns Community Group.

The Terminal Disbursement Date (TDD) of BNTF 7 and BNTF8 was on December 31 st, 2016. An extension of six months has been requested of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to enable the completion of all projects currently under implementation.

It is anticipated that at the end of the current project cycle a new project cycle for BNTF 9 will begin in mid or late 2017.

BNTF Montserrat will place a call for new projects shortly. Funding will be available to support projects related to: Access and Road Drainage, Water and Sanitation, Education and Human Resource Development. As part of the BNTF 9 cycle, the programme will seek to engage with the private sector to undertake larger community projects.

Since the BNTF’s inception in 1979, the Programme has been contributing to poverty reduction in targeted communities by providing infrastructure and livelihood enhancement services nationally and regionally. Thus far, there have been eight BNTF programme cycles implementing over 2,000 sub-projects directly impacting the lives of more than 2.8 million people across the Caribbean. The programme supports a socially inclusive development process that empowers the poor and vulnerable, and supports institutional development.

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