Nearly $1.3B allocated to community infrastructure

– capacity building of local democratic organs on the cards

Several communities countrywide are slated for significant physical transformation as government injects $1.3 billion in supplementary funding to enhance infrastructure and strengthen local democratic organs.

This was disclosed by Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall in an interview following the approval of supplemental funding for the ministry on Monday.

Minister Dharamlall explained that the allocation is a win for the citizens in the communities where projects will be executed.

“You are going to see quite a lot of physical infrastructure converted in our villages and it will be geared towards employment generation, where many small projects will be given to communities and persons within those communities are going to be employed to execute these projects.”

While these new projects will undoubtedly raise the economic profile of multiple communities, Minister Dharamlall reminded that the government continues to focus on enhancing existing infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and drains.

Further, the minister said focus will be placed on completing the Mon Repos and Parika markets.

With the first phase of the Mon Repos market near completion, Minister Dharamlall stated, “We will do an entire market and make it much more modern than many other markets.”

At the Parika market, substantial work is ongoing, while another market for Region Three is on the cards.

This is on par with the massive development underway in the region that is largely fueled by the oil and gas sector.

Regional Economic Transformation                 

The supplementary budget has included provisions to bolster the work undertaken by local democratic organs.

MinisterDharamlallstated, “We are going to be spending a lot of resources in making sure that we can build the capacities of all of these municipal councils and neighbourhood democratic councils. So, we are going toprovide tractors and trailers and other pieces of equipment to make sure that they can function better.”

The intent is for the investment to lead to the provision of better services to residents across communities.

Funds will also be invested to ensure every Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) has a suitable landfill to enhance solid waste management.

“We are hopeful with these types of investments, there is going to be greater community ownership… I think that President Ali has set out very clearly [that] this is One Guyana that we are building and everyone has to benefit from the resources of this country,” the Minister related.