Persons in the various communities throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been urged to seek job opportunities wherever they are.
“Don’t stay at home. Go and look for the work.” Those are the words from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, speaking at a signing ceremony last Wednesday for the construction of a $13 million National Insurance Services Headquarters. {{more}}
Gonsalves boasted of the upsurge in construction here. Prime Minister since March 28, Gonsalves referred to a Caribbean Development Bank report, which indicated that unemployment figures in St. Vincent and the Grenadines declined.
The firm Gibson Construction Limited won the contract for the building. Works are expected to begin June 7 and scheduled to take 100 weeks.
Gonsalves spoke of an Urban Development Plan, but he is not waiting to see the urban area enhanced. Gonsalves also alluded to projections for a Rural Development Plan.
The Headquarters will be a four-storey structure with offices for the NIS, the National Health Insurance, rent, and a state of the art Conference Room.
Moulton Mayers did designs for the structure.
Mayers boasted of the structure being “contextual, user friendly, traditional with modern vocabulary.”
NIS Executive Director Reginald Thomas described the start of the building as a “dream come true.” He looked at the construction as helping to provide wider services to the public.
Thomas however used the occasion to remind the contractors to pay regard to Occupational Health and safety measures.
Thomas noted that the NIS was responsible for implementing the Caricom Model act of safety and health measures, and that they would not be turning a blind eye to aspects where the safety requirements were not being observed.
Gibson noted that the building poses some challenges, but that his company had the requisite capabilities to handle such a project.
He endorsed Thomas’ requests for workers safety, and encouraged workers to equip themselves.