$108 Million Group Health Insurance for Heart Trust Employees and Retirees

Cabinet has approved the award of a $108.372 million contract to Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited for group health insurance for employees and eligible retirees of the HEART Trust/NTA.
The contract period runs from March 1 to February 28, 2013, Minister of Information with Responsibility for Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz informed at today’s (May 12) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Cabinet also gave the nod for the procurement of 350,000 blank passport books from Canadian Banknote Company Limited for the sum of US$1.532 million. Canadian Banknote has been providing the blank books to Jamaica since 2001.
Additionally, Cabinet sanctioned the payment of US$5.7 million for variation to a contract under the RA Murray Bridge Programme (Phase II), which includes construction, river training and bridge survey work.
The Information Minister explained that the variation, which is 13 per cent of the original contract sum “will facilitate the payment of fluctuations due to adjustment in labour, fuel cost and client obligation, and finance the completion of bridge construction works across the island.”
A three-year contract of $149.940 million has also been approved for Protection and Security Limited, to provide landside security services at the Norman Manley International Airport. Landside refers to unrestricted areas in an airport that are furthest from the aircrafts, such as car parks.
Meanwhile, Cabinet approved an amendment to the consulting services agreement between the National Water Commission and Nipon Koei Company Limited of the United Kingdom, for the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) Water Supply Project. This will see the cost being increased from U$S15.8 million to US$18.3 million.
Minister Vaz explained that, “in 2001, Cabinet approved the award of a contract to a joint venture company comprising Nipon Koei and MWH UK Limited, to provide consulting expertise for the KMA Water Supply Project.the subsequent agreement between the NWC and the joint venture was projected to extend over a 60-month period with funding being provided through a loan agreement entered into by the Governments of Japan and Jamaica.”