Govt to increase procurement limit for hinterland communities from $5M to $30M

…as $3B housing initiative also announced

Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that the Administration will be increasing the value of contracts that can be awarded directly to communities from $5 million to $30 million, a move aimed at significantly expanding hinterland community participation in development projects across Guyana.
Speaking at the National Toshaos Council Conference (NTC) on Tuesday, he said the adjustment will allow villages and communities to undertake larger projects and benefit more directly from Government investments.

“We will raise the limit at the tender board for communities from $5 million to $30 million. We will get this done before you leave so that we can give to the village a contract of up to $30 million. In the past, it could have only been $5 million. That will change significantly the level of community participation,” Jagdeo said.
The VP made the announcement while discussing the Government’s allocation of $10 billion this year for hinterland road infrastructure. He noted that while some of the funding has already been committed to major projects, the increased contracting threshold creates an opportunity to revisit how a portion of the remaining funds can be allocated and executed.
Among the major projects already earmarked for funding are the continued construction of the road from Moruca to Kwebanna in Region One, improvements to the road network from Mabaruma to Wauna, and upgrades to key roadways in Region Nine.

$3B housing initiative
The Government also announced that this year, Guyana will invest $3 billion to assist Amerindian families in building new homes and carrying out repairs to existing ones in villages across hinterland communities.
VP Jagdeo said the programme will be implemented in collaboration with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and village councils, with oversight committees established to ensure the initiative is managed transparently and fairly.
He explained that the Government wanted to avoid complaints of favouritism or exclusion by putting a clear accountability mechanism in place before the programme begins.
According to the VP, the allocation of funds among villages will be based on factors such as population size, with further consultations to determine the implementation framework.