By Hgptv

Copyright hgptv

Georgetown, Guyana – September 15, 2025 – Just one day after taking the oath of office, Priya Manickchand wasted no time making her presence felt as the new Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. On Sunday, she stormed into the unfinished Bamia Primary School project in Region 10 and delivered a clear ultimatum to the contractors: finish the job or get off the site.

Standing among piles of uncompleted work, Manickchand declared in a video posted to her Facebook page: “No ifs and buts. It WILL finish. The contractors have been made aware that they either finish the project in accordance with our newly set timelines or someone else will.”

The $364 million school, awarded to St8ment Investment Inc. in 2021, has been plagued by delays from material shortages, rising costs, and labour setbacks. The project, meant to house 800 pupils, was granted extensions and was supposed to be ready for the September 8, 2025, school year. Instead, children remain cramped in shifts, with some sharing three or four to a bench.

But Manickchand, fresh off a five-year stint as Education Minister, signaled that excuses are over. She announced that a project manager will be stationed at the site to “run down the things that have to be finished,” adding that the ministry is pushing for an October opening date.

When completed, the facility is expected to be Region 10’s most modern school, boasting 44 classrooms, a gymnasium, an auditorium with a performance stage, a sick bay with showers, two smart classrooms, modern restrooms, a library, a music room, a science lab, and a staff room.

“This is serious business,” the minister said. “These children have to come into this school, and we’re going to make sure it happens.”