‘This budget not for contractors only but for all Guyanese’ – Min Edghill

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill on Thursday debunked the opposition’s claim of budget 2024 being made with the contracting class in mind as he emphasised that “Budget 2024 is for all Guyanese.”

This remark was made during his presentation on Day Four of the 2024 budget debates at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

The minister highlighted also a series of measures and initiatives that target the needs of the regular Guyanese citizens demonstrated in the transformative $1.146 trillion budget.

He disclosed that this will see 72,0000 pensioners benefiting from more than $43 billion while some $2 billion was allocated for vehicle spares and maintenance.

“You know what that means? All the vulcanizing shops, tire shops, mechanic shops, the man who got to sell the car parts, and so on [will have these] opportunities for them in the budget,” he outlined.

In the budget under ‘transport’, the minister said the man who rents taxis, buses, and hiring of boats, among others in this category will also benefit from a $2 billion allocation.

Also, approximately $12.1 billion was allocated for the security. The minister was adamant that this will see thousands of Guyanese benefitting especially women, as they are more engaged in this line of work.

Calling on the opposition, the public works minister said “This opposition who likes to say they are championing the cause of women, you must explain to them why you’re not supporting a budget where employment for them in the recurring budget is almost $12.1 billion.”

Additionally, Minister Edghill underscored that in urban regions, the budget has allocated $2.9 billion for equipment maintenance while the refreshments and meals for government agencies and ministries collectively will amount to the tune of $541 million.

“When you do the math, you have almost $70 billion in opportunities. [The] Taxi driver, minibus driver, boatman, mechanic, printing, stationary supplier, plumper and I haven’t gone to the maintenance of roads and other infrastructure, drainage, and irrigation. This is just the ordinary.

So, I am here to tell the people of Guyana, don’t be fooled by people, who told you, that 34 is the majority of 65 and not 33. They are just doing it again in a different form,” the minister said.

Further propelling his argument, the minister revealed that under the Ministry of Public Works, some 4,000 contractors were engaged in 2023 alone, and “that’s not the whole country”.

Meanwhile, the minister revealed at the National Tender Board that more than 54,740 bids were submitted for more than 6003 projects.

“So, if the analysis starts on the wrong premise, then the end result is on the wrong premise,” he emphasised.