Faster service delivery, stronger accountability for Region 4 – new REO

Newly-appointed Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Region Four, Juan Edghill Jr, has pledged to prioritise faster service delivery across the region, stating that his administration will focus on efficiency, accountability and strict adherence to governing laws and audit recommendations. He was appointed REO just one week ago. While speaking on the Starting Point podcast on Sunday, Edghill said that as he assumed the position, it was important for him to focus on service delivery.
“The first thing I thought about was service,” he said, noting that he felt honoured to receive the call but immediately saw it as a responsibility rather than a personal achievement. He emphasised that there was no sense of pride attached to the appointment, but rather satisfaction and readiness to contribute. “I didn’t feel any sense of pride or anything like that, but I was happy. I was elated to be asked to serve because this Government has a clear vision,” he added, pointing to President Irfaan Ali’s leadership and direction for national development.

Reflecting on his experience in politics, he said that governance has increasingly centred on people-focused development. “Following politics throughout the years, and now serving another term, during the previous term [the People’s Progressive Party] would have said that this term is now about communities. It’s about people. It’s about families.” He explained that the priority now is ensuring tangible transformation at the community level. “We would have had a lot of big projects in the first term, but now I think the focus is more about delivery, being people-centred, service-oriented and development-driven.” When asked about his priority plan as he assumes the new role, Edghill Jr said his focus is that Region Four is already receiving progress reports on ongoing projects as he pushes for a faster rate of project delivery. “…I can tell you what you can expect going forward. You can expect us to be on the ground. You can expect us to treat every complaint and every citizen’s issue with great urgency.” He added that efforts are already underway to accelerate the pace of development projects throughout the region. “We’ll be looking at how we can fast-track delivery. Before I got there, the region would have awarded over 100 projects on the East Coast, East Bank and highway. So I’ve had them giving me progress reports and updates on what we need to look at, and if there are any signs of issues that we have to address right away. “As of yesterday, I had no delayed projects based on the report they gave me, but I want the work to move at a faster rate, and that is what we’ll be discussing. So whether it’s education, health, public works or agriculture, we’ll be looking at how we can deliver at a faster pace and keep these projects moving across the region.” Apart from these plans, he mentioned that the administration will also be guided by the Audit Act, noting that he had reviewed five years of Auditor General (AG) reports leading up to 2026.
He said he examined all recommendations, red flags and recurring deficiencies highlighted in the reports, and that these will form part of the administration’s focus going forward to ensure that the Region corrects identified weaknesses and improves its systems.