The proposed lift project at the Ministry of Justice building, to address and improve accessibility, will finally go to tender this week.
Late last year, the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) announced that funds had been set aside for the installation of an elevator in the Ministry of Justice and Courthouse building in Avarua.
Completion of this project was identified as a key performance target in the CIIC Statement of Corporate Intent 2021-2025 document compiled in 2021 and aligns with CIIC’s vision of providing quality assets that serve the Cook Islands people.
Project manager Tangianau Taoro says this will be the first passenger lift in the country – a lift that needs to be fit for purpose for the elderly, infirm and those with disabilities.
“It will address the concerns of these groups of people who have had issues with accessing the courthouse and the Ministry of Justice services,” she says.
Cook Islands Investment Corporation CEO Allan Jensen acknowledges that it has taken longer than anticipated for this project to go to tender.
However, it’s important to embark on a thorough and robust process when planning projects like this, he says.
“Various engineering and specialist reports have been commissioned to ensure the tender specs and requirements are set out clearly for a contractor to deliver fit for purpose infrastructure.”
Mrs Taoro would like to encourage local contractors to think about partnering up to deliver the project with overseas suppliers.
The request for tender was released today – Tuesday 10 May, and, the tender closing date will be Tuesday 24 May, and the contract award is expected to occur in June, with work and project completion later this year.
Tender documents can be viewed on the Cook Islands Government E-Government Procurement portal; https://in-tendhost.co.uk/adbprocurementnetwork/aspx/Home
and here https://www.ciic.gov.ck/ck212216/
