The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) says it is unable to procure the services of qualified contractors to implement contracts valued at hundreds of millions of dollars under its Inner-City Basic Services Project.

In a release, the fund said it would be hosting a contractors' meeting on Thursday, February 10, to increase contractor interest in its projects. The meeting is to be held at the offices of the Incorporated Masterbuilders' Association of Jamaica in New Kingston.

At the meeting, contractors will be sensitised about the require-ments of the Government's pro-curement process, as well as the work environment of the 12 inner-city communities being targeted by the project, the JSIF said.

Available contracts

Among the available contracts for bidding is a contract for infrastructural packages in the March Pen, Shelter Rock, Federal Gardens, Jones Town, Central Village and Whitfield Town communities.

The JSIF has already disbursed $230 million for social-intervention and infrastructural work under the inner-city project. A further $75 million is to be spent between February and March. It has also signed contracts valued at $200 million for work to commence in coming months.

JSIF contracts require:

Grades 1 and 2 National Contracts Commission Registration.

Grades 1 and 2 certification is required for projects in excess of $75 million.

Certification for these grades require that individuals be accepted as professionals with minimum academic qualification of a first degree and be:

a) Registered with a professional registration board;

b) A member of a recognised professional organisation;

c) A resident engineer: company applying for registration must have an engineer employed full time.