Local Govt Ministry actively tracking regional execution of projects – Parag

With Guyana at the half-year mark for the 2024 fiscal year, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Sonia Parag has assured that the ministry is keeping a close eye on the various regions to ensure the timely execution of projects.
Since its return to office, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has emphasised the importance of value for money on government projects. The Local Government and Regional Development Ministry received an allocation of $23.4 Billion in the 2024 budget.
Speaking with reporters recently, Parag explained the works currently ongoing under her Ministry, to execute this budget. She was also confident that the Ministry is on track to achieve its goals as the year end approaches.
“We are at the stage of advertising for the final set of projects that we have. But we’re on track with our capital projects. The regions, we’re also tracking them to ensure they work in a timely manner to have, not only have the projects advertised, but awarded and commenced. So, we have been monitoring all of that. But I think we’re in good stead, coming up to year end,” the Minister added.
The Local Government Ministry’s budget for 2024 includes $5 Billion for the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme. The SLED programme was redesigned by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to allow for smaller business grants to be issued to a larger pool of people. This is after several members of the former Government were flagged during an audit that found that millions in State funds were in fact wasted.
A total of $760 million was disbursed under the SLED programme between 2015 and 2020, in increments of $115 million, $40 million, $100 million, $150 million, $250 million, and $105 million, respectively. In April 2023, prominent Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) were fingered in a damning forensic audit report into the former APNU/AFC Government’s SLED programme.
Meanwhile, there are also allocations in the 2024 budget for subventions to municipalities and Neighborhood Democratic Councils. A sum of $1.2 Billion was set aside to complete works on five community markets- Charity, Hydronie, Leonora, Mon Repos and Parika, as well as to rehabilitate the markets at Corriverton, Kumaka and Suddie. This follows the sum of $417 Million that was spent last year to advance the construction of the five community markets.
The government had also budgeted $1.5 Billion, to maintain the Community Enhancement Workers Programme that has employed well over 2,000 persons. The programme seeks to ensure routine maintenance of community infrastructures, providing much needed support to Local Democratic Organs (LDO). Last year, $1.5 Billion had been expended on the programme.
In addition, the Government had recruited 15,890 persons from regions one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine and 10, through the National Pathway Workers Project. These persons were appointed to support the labour force at the local level and provide community services. In budget 2024, $10 Billion was set aside. This follows $6.4 Billion that was allocated in 2023. (G3)