Region Five (Mahaica- Berbice) is proposing to spend $6 billion in 2022 to improve the lives of citizens in the region.
A roadway at Number 4 Village was recently resurfaced under the 2021 work programme
Last year the Region had made a similar proposal for projects to be executed this year, and was granted just under $4B from the National Budget for its capital works programme.
Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Five, Geneveive Blackman, has said she is hoping the entire sum would be approved and given to the region come 2022.
“We want development, but there are nine other regions also competing for projects,” the REO said as she detailed the proposed work programme during a press conference on Tuesday.
The regional administration believes the extra two billion would be wisely spent, as some 75 per cent of the work programme for this year has already been completed.
Road work at Number 7 Village recently completed
“The major focus will be on education, health programme, as well as the development of basic infrastructure across the region. In 2022, you will see proposed a number of upgrades for farm-to-market access roads, so farmers are expected to benefit tremendously from these proposed upgrades. Similarly, there are at least a minimum of three road improvement projects in each Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC),” Regional Engineer Dhanpall Sukha said.
“There would have been several proposals for extensions to schools, upgrading of tarmac areas and playing areas, and external facilities so as to ensure that schools are properly ventilated and have enough to facilitate learning in the COVID environment. Similarly, in the health sector, there has been sufficient consultation and proposals in order to transform the health sector in Region Five.”
According to the REO, there was massive consultation with residents before putting forward the 2022 budget proposal.
“Basically, asking residents what they would like to see transformed in (their) community, they would have given us feedback, and that is how we formed the basis for our 2022 budget.”
Meanwhile, as it relates to the 2021 work programme, the public works programme is about 75 per cent completed, while the Civil Works programme is expected to be completed within the next month.
According to Regional Vice-Chairman Rion Pieters, who is also the head of the Regional Works Committee, work is taking place in all ten Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.
However, he told reporters that much more has to be done as it relates to the administration’s 2020 budget proposal.
He is optimistic that there will be change within the Region by 2022. He said the administration is satisfied at the pace at which development is taking place, as it continues to monitor ensuring value for money.
“Our infrastructural development is critical to the development of our people, because once we have the proper infrastructure in place, the foundation for development in all aspects of one’s life (is laid). We are not just about undertaking projects, but also ensuring that in every project we have value for money, and we will continue to engage our residents in monitoring these projects,” Pieters said.
According to the Vice-Chairman, work is taking place in all ten NDCs.
He said the administration is satisfied with the pace at which development is taking place, as it continues to monitor ensuring value for money.
“We are not just about undertaking projects, but also ensuring that in every project we have value for money, and we will continue to engage our residents in monitoring these projects.”
However, Pieters pointed out that the Region’s economic base is agriculture, and as such, the improvement of farm-to-market roads is critical for the Region’s development.
“This programme has been ongoing for a few years significantly pre-2015, so the number of roads to be developed is not new, because we understand that if we want to have a positive impact on development in our agricultural sector, we first need to ensure that we reduce the hassle of our farmers to get to and from their fields.”
He said the project had been started sometime back, but is being reintroduced.
“I say reintroduced because we would have seen a reduction in the number of farm-to-market roads being upgraded during the period 2015 to 2020. So, in this year’s budget, we would have done a number of remedial works and also capital works on farm-to-market roads. This is something we will continue to do, and also during the last flood that we would have experienced, a number of our roads were affected,” Pieters pointed out. (G4)
