$166M road upgrades for Daag Point, Region Seven

– residents grateful for a ‘gov’t that cares’

Residents of Daag Point, an Amerindian village in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), will soon benefit from a $166 million infrastructural upgrade on the community’s main access road.

Rehabilitation on the main thoroughfare will be executed in phases, which will see the first phase spanning approximately 900 metres starting from the back of the community.

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill said the works are commencing this way following requests made by residents.

“So, we start from the back and we coming up to the front and the reason why it is being done in that fashion is…. because you have requested it that way. And that shows that we are a government that listens to the people and we respond to the people and whatever we do is for the benefit of the people,”Minister Edghill stated.

He was at the time delivering during a community outreach on Thursday.

The road works are being executed by CB Construction and are expected to be completed by December.

The minister highlighted that the road is being done in rigid pavement concrete to ensure quality and longevity, so residents can fully benefit from monies being spent on infrastructural development.

Additionally, Minister Edghill assured that the work on the road will continue until it reaches the head of the village.

“This phase of the road will not get us to the front but you can be assured that we will not build a half road. When we are finished with this phase in 2022, we will continue the road in 2023 until we get out, the same rigid pavement concrete road.

“The development comes in phases and waves and we are committed to improving the lives of people so you don’t get everything all at once but as the country develops and we get more revenue we will do more,” Minister Edghill reasoned.

Further, the minister encouraged CB Construction to employ residents from the community.

Residents will also be provided with an unpriced bill of quantities to monitor the works and ensure it is being done to specification.

This is part of the government’s policy position to provide transparency and accountability.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke with several residents who commended the government for caring about their needs and ensuring the major project is executed.

Malina Jones, a 72-year-old resident said, “I am so proud and I am so happy at this time and this age that I can still see what the government is doing. And I know there is progress ahead and I know I will see many more things happening here”.

She expressed gratitude for the school, the solar farm and the road.

“So, I am very thankful that God has smiled on us and given us a government that cares about us and that is where I feel happy because God is using the government to help us in this area,” she said.

Another resident, Denisa Chacon shared similar sentiments.

“I feel good because I know he doing things for all of us in the community so I feel good about it because I live down to the end and I am so glad about the road because I live far down. I feel so nice that we gon get we road anytime now.”

In addition, the PPP/C government has expended over $500 million to rehabilitate several roads in the region.

Currently, there is an ongoing project in West Bartica amounting to some $84 million. Another in Five Miles to the tune of $94 million is also ongoing.