GE Proyectos takes a look at the big picture

Article - August 5, 2014

Now more than ever, Equatorial Guinea has come alive with a multitude of projects aimed at the betterment of the country’s future; so many, in fact, that the government created an additional agency dedicated specifically to overseeing them: GE Proyectos

GE PROYECTOS FIVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS PARTNER WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO EXAMINE ARCHITECTURAL, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL AND STRUCTURAL PLANS, PERFORM ON-SITE ANALYSES, AND ARE IN CHARGE OF THE FINAL OUCOME OF EACH PROJECT

With over 1,500 different plans being carried out across the country, all related to different parts of critical infrastructure, GE Proyectos, (Equatorial Guinea Projects in English), provides a range of services and technical advice to make sure that the public works get done on time, and with the best possible results.

GE Proyectos was originally formed in 2007, to keep up with the rapid pace of the country’s infrastructure development. An autonomous entity, it supervises all infrastructure projects funded by the Equatoguinean government, from the planning and development stages right through to completion. It provides crucial know-how and services to ensure that world-class building standards are being met. This includes the preparation of model contracts for project specifications, the structuring of development tenders and the running of cost-analyses, in addition to research and project evaluation, quality control and supervision, legal support and the handling of statistics and publications. As one of its primary functions, GE Proyectos trains Equatoguineans for construction work, to help ensure that the local population sees its share of benefits from the government-funded construction boom. GE Proyectos also serves as a liaison between various government entities and private sector businesses wishing to participate in the country’s development.

“In order to attract investors, you must show that your country meets their requirements, and I think that we are doing this perfectly”

Francisca Obiang, Managing Director of GE Proyectos

“GE Proyectos came into being as part of the Technical Office of the president,” explains Francisca Obiang, Managing Director of GE Proyectos. “In this role, we create infrastructure, supervise and oversee public works. The responsibility for oversight almost always falls to us.” Working from within the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ms. Obiang leads an interdisciplinary team of professionals, bringing together architects, specialist engineers, attorneys, environmentalists and urban planners, as well as economists and builders to help carry out a strategic vision for the country. Experts from GE Proyectos’ five different departments partner with the government to examine architectural, mechanical, electrical and structural plans, perform on-site inspections and analyses, and are in charge of the final outcome of each project.

“Each one of us brings knowledge,” Ms. Obiang continues. “You have the technical side under control because you have architects, engineers, all your personnel, but you need to know how to lead these people.”

In order to meet the country’s development goals, spelled out in the Horizon 2020 plan, GE Proyectos looks at the big picture, taking into account the local, national and regional impact of each project under consideration. Therefore, they play a crucial role not only in identifying what needs to be done, from a macro perspective, but in seeing each job through to completion. The goal is to take the success that the country has achieved in the hydrocarbons sector, and apply that income and capacity toward creating latest-generation infrastructure and technology in sectors throughout the economy. At the center of this transformation, GE Proyectos’ headquarters are located in a brand-new real-estate development outside the capital called Malabo II. Meant to be an example of the progress the government hopes to achieve, Malabo II boasts skyscrapers, an elegantly-planned network of roads and highways, in addition to contemporary housing and an abundance of stylish office buildings, like the one that houses GE Proyectos.

“We are preparing very thoroughly, specifically for the second step,” Ms. Obiang continues. “Most importantly concerning industrialization, the foundation for industrialization. In order to attract investors, you must show that your country meets their requirements, and I think that we are doing this perfectly.”

The end goal is to bring world-class standards to Equatorial Guinea, for the benefit of the entire country. “EG Proyectos and the Infrastructure Ministry should show the world that the quality of construction has been improved. This is the most important thing. You will come back in two years and say ‘wow!’ not only because you see a new road here or a supermarket there, but you look at the building and say, ‘this is really well done.’ You see the quality of the work. That’s my idea,” Ms. Obiang concludes.

“We work with the Infrastructure Ministry and with the president’s office to create standards, so that when you want to build, you build with these standards. You have to go to City Hall. You have to consult the Infrastructure Ministry. We must see infrastructure not only in terms of quantity but in terms of quality.”