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ICC GETS E800 MILLION FOR INTERIOR WORKS

25/02/2023 08:33:00 Welcome Dlamini

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MBABANE – The International Conventional Centre (ICC), which is still under construction in Ezulwini, has been allocated an amount of around E800 million.

This amount of money is for interior works. According to the Government Book of Estimates, the money is categorised in two: E624 447 817 is loan funds; and E176 million is local funds. The ICC, which consists of a multipurpose hall, theatre and exhibition space, is not a stand-alone project but is being built alongside a hotel known as the Five Star Hotel (FISH), and this has led to the development being named the ICC&FISH.

The latest allocation for the ICC will see the total amount spent on this particular part of the development rise to around E3 billion. Already, an amount of E2 255 983 000 (E2.25 billion) has been spent and the actual figure that has been allocated towards the construction for the coming financial year is E800 447 817. It is estimated that the complete construction of the ICC will cost E4 785 859 000 (about E4.8 billion). Meanwhile, the FISH part of the development has been allocated E10 million in local funds to complete buildings and interior works of the hotel structure.
As at March 31, 2022, the money spent on the hotel structure stood at E1 846 439 000 (E1.84 billion). Estimates indicate that the hotel structure will cost E2 580 086 000 (2.58 billion).

This means that for the entire ICC&FISH, it is estimated that the total cost, once the project is complete, will stand at E7 365 945 000 (E7.36 billion).
In October 2022, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, which is responsible for such capital projects, had to fend off reports which alleged that the development was sinking.Thula Simelane, the Communications Officer, told this newspaper that the hotel, in particular, was sitting on top of 1 016 piles, and these piles were driven to form part of the substructure of the building. Based on this fact, Simelane said there was no way that the structure could sink or make any form of movement to cause failure. The communication officer mentioned that the site had plenty of underground water, especially the hotel site. However, she said all precautionary measures were considered to mitigate any negative effect to the structural integrity of the structure.

Accreditation

To prove that there were no serious issues with the structure; government announced that the ICC would receive silver accreditation. It is said that the ICC’s multipurpose hall, theatre and exhibition space were designed to allow flexibility in usage. The FISH is expected to receive a silver LEED accreditation for water and energy efficiency. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. It (LEED) provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

It is understood that the whole ICC building was designed according to LEED energy and water efficiency principles. The silver accreditation can put the ICC on the world tourism map as green tourism is associated with quality and high standards. Green tourism businesses’ focus on sustainability is demonstrated through three grading levels; bronze, silver and gold.They are ordinarily assessed every two years to ensure that standards are maintained.

Rigorous

It means that the ICC will be assessed by a qualified grading advisor against a rigorous set of criteria, covering a range of areas such as energy and water efficiency, waste management and biodiversity. For a hotel or facility to get silver accreditation, it needs to be able to demonstrate that it is working extensively to source supplies locally and ethically, as well as maintaining standards, minimising damage to the environment and meeting good standards of practice at all while providing a high quality service.

“This facility will be receiving silver accreditation in this regard,” says the ministry’s annual performance report for the financial year 2021/2022.
On the other hand, government has maintained that the ICC&FISH is a viable project. The convention centre is seen as a good facility that will derive revenue from hosting international meetings organised by various bodies. The ministry stated in the report that the ICC would accommodate a range of government, public and corporate activities.