Budget 2025 estimates & expenditures: Over $6B in retention payments set aside for major infrastructure projects – Croal

The Government has earmarked more than $6 billion in retention payments for major infrastructure projects in 2025, as outlined by Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal during Day One of the Committee of Supply’s Consideration of Estimates and Expenditure for the 2025 Budget
According to the Minister, the overall infrastructure budget includes $101 billion for the payment of rollover projects, new infrastructure developments for housing schemes, land acquisition, utility installation, and upgrades in existing areas.
Disaggregating the amount set aside for the retention payments as requested by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Annette Ferguson, Croal revealed that a final payment of $3 billion will be paid to the contractors of the Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane Highway and $1 billion for the Eccles to Diamond Highway.
Additionally, $197 million has been set aside for the Great Diamond Four-Lane Expansion, $510 million for the Liliendaal Four-Lane Road and $5.359 billion for the New Demerara Harbour Bridge Four-Lane Approach
Aside from major highways, Croal explained that funds have also been set aside for continuing projects, which include the road widening and enhancement being undertaken at the Massy, Windsor Estate and Gree

nfield roads to the tune of $1.089 billion for final payment and retention.
“The road widening works, enhancement works that were done along Massy Road, Windsor Road, and Greenfield Road, the final payment and retention to be paid, $1.089 billion”.
“And then in the building aspect, we have the Ministry’s head office, phase two, $914 million to be paid this year and a small retention on the phase one of $197 million,” the Minister said.
Works on the $15.1 billion Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane Highway in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) commenced in 2022 when contracts to the tune of $11.8 billion were signed with eight contractors – VR Construction Inc, Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc, L-Heureuse Construction and Services Inc, GuyAmerica Construction Inc, AJM Enterprise, Vals Construction, Puran Bros Disposal Inc, and JS Guyana Inc.
This project was commissioned in August 2024 by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who outlined that this new highway, which runs in the back lands, will open up thousands of acres of land for agriculture development as well as housing developments.
Meanwhile, in 2023, the Government awarded contracts totalling $11 billion for the continuation of the new East Bank Demerara (EBD) four-lane highway from Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam, Craig.
This project is divided into 12 lots and includes the construction of more than 30 reinforced concrete bridges, 8.6 kilometres (km) of reinforced concrete highway road, and two roundabouts. Other phases include the building and widening of bridges to link New Grove to Kaneville and Grove to Good Success.