Public Infrastructure Ministry completes 91% work programme at mid-year

The Public Infrastructure Ministry has completed 91 per cent of its work programme up to July 31, 2017. Providing a mid-year performance update to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister David Patterson said his Ministry has tendered 91 per cent of its contracts from which 83 per cent has been awarded. There are 28 projects yet to be tendered.
Minister Patterson explained that some of the projects are foreign funded and the Ministry was required to make the requisite specifications before going to tender. Some of the 28 projects that were not tendered are being redefined.
According to the Public Infrastructure Minister, the overall expenditure up to July 31, 2017 is .1 billion which represents approximately 40 per cent of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).

The locally funded PSIP is approximately $9.8 billion from which $3.9 billion was spent, while the foreign funded PISP was $15.6 billion from which $6.2 billion was expended. These represent 40 per cent in expenditures.
“I would have preferred to be over 50 per cent by mid-year but my projects are capital in nature and during the May/June rainy season, some of our performances dipped. We do expect now that the rains have somewhat subsided that we will be able to push through with the roads, particularly in the hinterlands and Georgetown. The hinterland roads were suspended during the rainy season, the contracts have been awarded, and the contractors are on standby,” Minister Patterson explained.
The Minister noted that several supplementary budget allocations were given to the Ministry recently which the public may question. However, the Minister explained that those funds were used for the East Bank Berbice road, Guyana Power and Light’s Power Upgrade Utility Programme, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s terminal building and runway as well as work on the Georgetown Prison. Works in these areas continue to move apace.
Further, Minister Patterson highlighted that the Ministry has been experiencing some challenges with its capacity in terms of contractors. However, most of the contractors have been engaged and they have since hired more persons and mobilised more equipment.
“It’s a slow process but they are making progress, next year the Ministry will be in a better position to execute several projects simultaneously. By the end of December, we should complete our work programme,” he declared.