The Government of Vanuatu has signed a contract with Jiangsu Ltd, for the supply of three brand new fleet of heavy road construction machinery worth vt643million. The Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Jay Ngwele, representing the Government of Vanuatu, and Jiang Su Provincial Group Business Director, Ge Yihu, signed the contract on Saturday 26 September 2020.
The purchase of the three new fleet of machines is funded under the VT 3billion Infrastructure Fund appropriated by the Vanuatu Government for the upgrade of Vanuatu rural feeder roads.
The 3 fleet of heavy equipment comprises 35 pieces of machineries which includes, 3 Grader, 4 30T Excavator, 1 45T Excavator, 3 Dozer, 3 Single Drum Roller, 3 Wheel Loader, 3 Backhoe, 3 Water Tanker, 9 Dump Truck, and 3 15T Dump truck. The signed contract also includes for the supplier to deliver training for mechanics and operators, provide regular service parts and maintenance for four years.
All the construction machinery are Caterpillar brand except for the dump trucks.
Minister Ngwele expressed the Government’s full confidence in the contractors to successfully deliver all machineries within the specifications and timeline stipulated in the tender and signed agreement. Given the current situation, he said the Vanuatu Government is ready to work with the supplier to facilitate and ensure all the machineries are delivered within timeframe.
“Therefore, the machineries will markedly assist Government and PWD towards delivering good road links to the people of Vanuatu.”
The supplier is expecting the first shipment of construction machines to arrive in January 2021.
“We are committed to meeting the specification and deadline which is why we will be fully engaging our team after the signing ceremony,” Mr. Ge Yihu said.
Minister Ngwele acknowledged that the machinery will play an integral part of the Government of the Peoples Plan (NSDP 2030) and the newly launched Vanuatu’s national roads policy on the expansion of the national roads accessibility network in Vanuatu and the Ministry of Infrastructure’s efforts to expand rural Vanuatu’s feeder access roads, deemed to be very essential in linking our rural communities to the mainstream markets, main roads, and shipping anchorages and airports.
This Vanuatu Public Roads Policy (the Policy) supports the Government’s National Sustainable Development Plan 2030 – The People’s Plan (the National Plan). The National Plan commits the Government to developing “sustainable and well-maintained infrastructure and services for all.”
Most of Vanuatu’s public road network is currently neither sustainable nor maintainable. Therefore, the main thrust of the Policy is to progressively upgrade important gravel roads to concrete or asphalt-sealed roads and the introduction of these construction machineries will assist and beef up PWD capacity to achieve its policy targets and goals.
The signing was witnessed and considered by the Chairman of the Vanuatu Feeder Roads Program, MP Anthony Iauko as a milestone for Vanuatu and its people and marked the beginning of a critically important development for the people and the country.
Minister Ngwele finally acknowledges the guidance and advise of CTB and SLO to ensure all procurement processes are adhered to the established guidelines under the Government Contracts and Tenders Act.
