$130M for city projects

─ drainage, machinery, solid waste and upgrades are priority areas

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, March 12, 2018

Drainage and irrigation, solid waste management and repairs and upgrades to market places are the priority areas for the Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) of Georgetown to address when the council’s budget is completed, in a matter of weeks.

During their statutory meeting yesterday, Deputy-Mayor Alfred Mentore disclosed that in its budget for 2019, the M&CC is looking at an estimated, $130M for the rolling out of projects. These will include the completion of upgrades to the Kitty Market and La Penitence Market, upgrades to stalls at the Bourda Market and rehabilitation of the roads at the East Ruimveldt Market.

Mentore highlighted that the Solid Waste Department was asked to recommend ways in which revenue could be brought into the council coffers.

He pointed out that most of the council’s revenue is paid to persons contracted to handle garbage disposal, those hired monthly to clean drains daily and maintain the city’s environment. As such he noted that the “more revenue the department brings in the council will be able to utilise these funds on other projects.”

Mentor added that the engineering department is yet to submit plans on what priority areas they wished to have addressed before the wrapping up of the council’s budget.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a general idea of all the various departments of the council, and out of that, I presume, a plan as to when we’ll have the full budget presentation by the chairman of the finance committee.”

So far, a feasibility study has been completed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and there are plans to finance the rebuilding of the Stabroek Wharf. The council may look at the newly built wharf (when works are completed) as a tourist attraction as the vendors have been/will be placed in other locations.

Kipenie Jordan

Images: Giovani Gajie