Approval granted for Region Three budget
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, December 12, 2018
$6.3Billion has been approved late on the evening on December 12, for the West Demerara-Essequibo Islands, Region Three. The budgetary allocation for the region came under the scrutiny by the opposition who questioned sums provided for various sectors.
The Allocations for the various sectors in the region are as follows:
- Regional Administration and Finance – 255Million
- Agriculture – 486Million
- Public Infrastructure – 325Million
- Education Delivery- 3.6Billion
- Health services – 1.6Billion
In the education sector, two new nursery schools will be constructed at Bagotville and Leonora while smart classrooms will be established at the Education Resource Centre, West Demerara and Zeeburg Secondary School. Also, included in the allocation is $14Million for the purchase of a school bus for the Schoonard Special Needs school.
Also, this budget caters for the payment of part-time staff namely sweeper cleaners, invigilators and it also covers the payment of stipends to work-study students among others under the region’s employ in this sector.
In health, the regional administration will give oversight to the construction of staff quarters and trestles at the Leguan Cottage Hospital. There will also be the extension of the health post at Zeelugt and the clinic at West Demerara Regional Hospital.
$25Million is set aside for the purchase of an additional ambulance will be purchased to add to the existing fleet in the region along with an enclosed refrigerated truck to transport drugs and medical supplies.
For public infrastructure, a sum of $156Million has been set aside for the construction of bridges in Best Village, Leonora, Edinburgh, Hague, Bellevue and road rehabilitation at Tuschen, Nismes, Leonora and other areas.
These infrastructural upgrades will provide better access to facilities and other services in the areas to thousands of residents. Opposition members of parliament were assured that roads and bridges not included in the regional budget for upgrades and maintenance will be covered by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
For the agriculture sector, there will be the construction of control structures at Ladystein and Canal No. 2 and a ramp and boat landing at Salem.
Much emphasis will be placed on drainage and irrigation in both capital and current expenditure. 238.7Million has been allocated. Here PPP/C member of Parliament, Komal Chand sought to find out why there has been an increase from the previous allocation in 2017 which stood at 194.5M
Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan clarified that more than 100 locations are on the list to benefit from drainage and irrigation measures. Areas targeted include Vreed-en-Hoop, Windsor Forest, Parika, Tuschen, Zeelugt among others.
By: Delicia Haynes.
Images: Jameel Mohamed.