“Don’t oppose Budget 2024 for opposing’s sake” – Edghill to Opposition

Day Four of the ongoing parliamentary debates on the $1.146 trillion Budget 2024 continued on Thursday with Public Works Minister Juan Edghill calling out the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition for continuously criticizing efforts and projects undertaken by Government to enhance the lives of citizens and transform the country without bringing anything constructive to the table.
“We must not come to the Parliament and just oppose for opposing sake. You should come here and scrutinise, and say we want the government to do these things but we want them to do it better. We guarantee you …we will continue to deliver with efficiency and give the Guyanese people value for money,” Edghill posited.
According to the minister, Budget 2024 benefits all categories of the Guyanese population. He said his government’s trillion-dollar fiscal plan for this year is not a splurge but a catalyzation to build out the country – something which he argued needs to happen now as it will be more cost effective than doing it in the future.
“We have current opportunities that exists because of the global environment, because of what is happening in Guyana, because of the reality that we’re now engaging in petroleum. And we’re utilizing that opportunity to secure the future prosperity of Guyana,” the Minister contended.
In response to the Opposition’s “aggressive attack” on Budget 2024 which they claim is “heavy on infrastructure,” the Public Works Minister pointed out that total capital budget is $225 billion, while his ministry’s total allocation this year is $236 billion.
“…Please explain to us which project you want us to drop,” Edghill stated.
He pointed out to the US$260 million new Demerara River Bridge which will reduce travel time for thousands; the maintenance of the current Demerara Harbour Bridge; the new Hope Canal-like structures that would enhance drainage systems for farmers; the Gas-to-Energy Project that will slash electricity costs by 50 per cent; the ongoing upgrades to modernise the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and bring in new airlines; $70 billion for community roads across the country, and other allocations for the many sectors that falls under his ministry.
“If they don’t want us to provide… opportunities to go your children and children’s children, stand up and tell us now,” Edghill stated.
According to the minister, the APNU/AFC Coalition had five years in office to deliver to the Guyanese people and after failing to do that, all they do now is claiming what claiming what they had planned to do.
“The APNU/AFC Government [was] like an abusive husband… This is what we hear whole day, I had plans… Is we programme… Is we thing you tek. You had the opportunity to treat the Guyanese people and you did not. You blew it! So, don’t come here now as if you are the epitome of righteousness to lecture us on this other side about how we running the country. If you gonna make criticisms, tell us what we could do better,” he declared.
Edghill went on to go through the various developments being undertaken by his ministry in all the regions across Guyana including new stellings and roads in Region One; enhanced ferry service for Region Two; housing and road works in Region Three; beautification of the Georgetown Seawall in Region Four; farm to mark access roads in Region Five; the new four-lane highway from Palmyra to Moleson Creek in Region Six; upgrades of airstrip and the road network in Region Seven; hundreds of millions of dollars in community contracts to maintain roads in Region Eight; and building out the road network in Region Nine to ease accessibility to other regions.
Turning his attention to Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), which houses the Opposition stronghold town of Linden, the Public Works Minister questioned, “Do you want the Wismar Bridge or you don’t want it. You can’t say you [not] supporting the Budget and you ain’t want the bridge [for the people of Linden]… Do you want us to continue the road from Orealla to Kwakwani? Do you want us to open up the savannahs to corn and soya with the road from Ituni all the way to Tacama? Do you want us to build the road from Millie’s Hideout getting into Tacama? Do you want it or you don’t want it? If you want it, support Budget 2024!”
Meanwhile, during his presentation, Edghill also used the opportunity to respond to Opposition Member of Parliament, Khemraj Ramjattan’s criticism that Budget 2024 caters for the “contractor class.” But the Public Works Minister countered by pointing out that in 2023, almost 4000 contractors from across the country were engaged in projects within his ministry alone. These include 1458 small contractors for projects $15 million and under; another 601 contractors for projects between $15 million to $100 million and some 114 contractors for projects over $100 million.
Further, he added that a total of 54,740 contractors submitted bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for more than 6000 projects countrywide last year.
“If the analysis started on wrong premise, then end result is on the wrong premise. So, I stand here today to correct the fact that Budget 2024 is for a ‘contractor class’. Budget 2024 is for all Guyanese,” Edghill insisted. (G8)