Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, has assured Region Nine village representatives that road works being undertaken by the government will be strictly monitored to ensure quality.
At a recent engagement with village leaders, some expressed concern about the quality of work previously executed on roads in the region.
The minister explained that the works were below par.
“The contract that they had was a grade and shape contract, so all they’re doing is grading and shaping, so you keep grading and shaping, you keep taking off the top, what happens after that you’re left with nothing, that is what the previous government did.”
A contract was recently signed between the Ministry and Jr. Ranch Inc. for works on the same stretch of road. Minister Indar said a better quality of work is expected this time around.
“We put in that 39,000 metres cube of laterite to be placed, so they have to put laterite and other materials and then grade and shape, so you build up back the road.”
A committee was recently formed in the region to closely monitor all road projects. The unit is chaired by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Karl Singh, and includes representatives of the Ministry of Public Works, the town council, and the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In response to a suggestion that road works be given to Brazilian contractors, the minister noted that this would not be fair to locals.
“In Region Nine, the business community and the contractors that pay taxes in Guyana would take umbrage to that because they have been doing the work, the only thing we have to ensure is that we up our monitoring capabilities,” Minister Indar noted.
“I believe the problem can be remedied that way, rather than outsource it to a foreign company, simple things that we can do in Guyana.”
A contract was also signed for upgrades to the St. Ignatius Road.
The Toshaos took the opportunity to raise several issues pertaining to village roads, bridges, culverts, airstrips and other works in the region.
The concerns were noted and the minister promised to do follow-ups. An engineer will visit several areas to make assessments of the works needed, after which representation will be made for it to be included in the 2022 budget. (Extracted and modified from the Department of Public Information)
