2018 capital works in Region 6 will not be undermined – Min. Bulkan

DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, February 01, 2018

Despite the majority of Region Six’s (East Berbice-Corentyne) 2018 budget allocation covers recurrent expenditure, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan said capital works will not be compromised.

Minister of Communities, Mr. Ronald Bulkan.

The Minister was at the time speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI) and responding to claims that fewer funds were allocated to the region’s capital projects.

From the $6.4B allocated to the Region, $6.1B will be spent on payments of wages and salaries under the regional administration, education, agriculture, health and public infrastructure programmes in the region. The remaining amount, in excess of $550M, will be utilised for capital projects.

Minister Bulkan disclosed that some of the projects will be funded by the government. “We must be mindful that capital projects in our regions are not only funded via RDCs (Regional Democratic Councils) but there are also investments made by the line Ministries whether its agriculture or education or public health and those projects are funded centrally,” he explained.

The Minister noted that 2018 finances and resources are not limited since the $267.1B 2018 National Budget has a deficit of in excess of $40B. This sum has been dedicated towards works in the various regions. However, “this does not mean that this administration is on a spending spree but rather that it is investing in public services, public infrastructure,” Minister Bulkan stressed.

“There will always be a cry for more resources especially with the imminent boost in the oil and gas sector, but there is a limit to that which is available for spending,” the Minister said. He continued, “these riches that we’re being told that lie 120 miles offshore from us, is going to take a few years to get here and we can’t develop a mindset that we’ll spend that money now before it materializes. As a country, we must be able to live within our needs and prioritise where public investment should be made.”

In the region this year, drainage structures will be constructed at Vryheid Lust, bridges at Mibicuri, Joanna and No. 61 and No. 62 villages will be rehabilitated,  while bridges at Kildonan, Nurney, Ulverston, Joanna, Adelphi and Angoys Avenue are set for construction and rehabilitation in 2018.

Several roads will also be constructed and rehabilitated at Fyrish, Friends Village, Agony’s Avenue, Canje, Liverpool, No. 72 Village, Port Mourant, Albion and Lesbeholden among others.

Under the education programme Skeldon Primary School and Annex, Joanna and Yakusari Primary Schools, and New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School will be rehabilitated and the Skeldon Hospital will see the construction of a theatre.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur

 

For more photos, click on the link to the DPI’s Flickr Page

https://www.flickr.com/photos/142936155@N03/

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