Aranaputa residents to determine projects for $160M budget allocation – Min Edghill

To satisfy the needs of residents from the Aranaputa area in Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), the Public Works Ministry will be allowing residents to identify areas in which they would like enhancement and infrastructural projects to be executed.
This was revealed by Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill on Saturday who conducted a community outreach with residents to address some of the community issues.
During the engagement, several residents expressed their dissatisfaction about the construction and enhancement of thoroughfares within the community noting that the overseer of the project did not consider their recommendations.
“We attended several meetings but the villagers didn’t really have the opportunity to say where we want the roads, I don’t know if they took you to that mountain corner so, where there is approximately 2 kilometres of the road was done and nobody lives there,” one resident stated.

Another resident related, “A lot of decisions are being made without the villagers’ input. They do have meetings but a lot of villages don’t go to the meetings because even though they go and talk about things. The council still goes ahead and does their own thing.”
As such the subject minister assured residents that moving forward, their voices will be heard. He explained that the residents will work alongside the engineer to identify projects and areas where the $160 million budgeted for this year will be spent
“When the team comes back in to ensure that the contractor is working, I want the chairman or councillor and residents to sit with Mr. Walcott and Mr Raphael and determine where you want the $160 Million for this year to be spent,” the minister added.
Moreover, the minister urged the engineers to engage with the contractors promptly, to ensure all of the projects are completed by January before the rainy season.
“Within one month of today’s date (Saturday) the contractor for 2024 must be engaged, so that would be sometime in early October and we could be able to get the work done and get out of here before the rains come back in January,” he further explained.
Meanwhile, the subject Minister during this year’s National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), disclosed that a total of $6.41 billion was invested for the construction and rehabilitation of roads in hinterland communities countrywide.
He underscored the government’s commitment towards improving connectivity and access in these remote areas, highlighting the scope and magnitude of the planned developments. A key project involves the construction of a crucial road link between Karasabai in Region Nine and Monkey Mountain in Region Eight, aimed at enhancing the efficient delivery of goods and services throughout the region.
A team from the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, was dispatched to conduct surveys and determine the project’s cost and requirements. In addition to the Karasabai to Monkey Mountain link, Minister Edghill announced that all internal roads in Mabaruma, Moruca, Port Kaituma, and Matthews Ridge in Region One will be upgraded to rigid pavement concrete.
The minister pointed out that the end goal is to bridge the gap between hinterland and coastland areas, to ensure equitable access to services and to improve living conditions for Amerindian communities.