Region Six 2010 Budget to benefit agri sector

Mar 15, 2010 News

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NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – A large portion of the 2010 Budgetary allocation for East Berbice/Corentyne goes toward improving the drainage and irrigation system in that geographic location.

Recently, the Region Six Chairman presented a $299 million Capital Expenditure Budget for East Berbice/Corentyne. The largest allocation under the Capital Expenditure goes to Drainage and irrigation where $102 million was allotted, $56 million would be expended on Roads, $37 million on Building – Education, $27 million on Bridges, $23 million – Land Development, $19 million – Furniture and Equipment – Health, $10 million – Building – Health, $9 million – Furniture and Equipment – Education, $8.5 million – Land Transport, $5.5 million – Buildings – Administration and $1.8 Furniture and Equipment – Administration. This year under the Current Expenditure, $1.6 billion would be invested on Education Delivery, $810 million on Health Services, $456 million on Agriculture, $247 million on Public Works and $88 million would be expended on Regional Administration and Finance.

The Budgetary allocation in 2009 for the drainage and irrigation system was $96 million but a total of $500 million was absorbed. This Mr. Mustapha said, assisted to provide adequate irrigation water to farmers and improve the general system so much so that farmers within the Black Bush Polder, Number Fifty- two/Seventy-four Village area asked for the Manarabisi pump to be shut off.

As a result, 46,000 acres of land across East Berbice/Corentyne are now under rice cultivation. In locations between Number Fifty- two/Seventy-four Village there are 17,500 acres available for cultivation, 3,500 at Crabwood Creek, 18,000 in Black Bush Polder and less than 600 acres of land at New Forest. The 2009 work across Region Six also saw 22,000 more acres of land opening up for rice cultivation between Number Fifty-one Village to Bloomfield.

The Regional Chairman is optimistic that when the 2010 developmental projects are completed in New Forest, close to 3,000 acres of rice would be planted. This would have a halo effect, thus encouraging many of the farmers who had walked out of the rice cultivation business in those communities, due to poor drainage and irrigation problems coupled with bad roads, to return.

The Region owns five excavators and these assist in reducing cost to the Administration. An independent channel is to be excavated for Joanna in Black Bush Polder this year and this would pass through Number Thirty-six Village to Bengal to the Atlantic Ocean. The façade in the Number Fifty-two/Seventy-four locations would also be excavated. Other drainage and irrigation projects include the reconstruction of sluices at Light Town and Kortberaad on the East Bank of Berbice, timber revetment to be built to control erosion at Ma Retraite, Liverpool Village and Tain, and $8 million worth of repairs to eight regulators in Black Bush Polder.

A special $500 million programme is to commence in April in the four schemes comprising Black Bush Polder. Under this venture, all of the canals and drainage and irrigation structures and bridges leading to the cultivation are to be dealt with. The pump station at Mibicuri is also to be renovated. Another venture is listed for Crabwood Creek and for localities between Number Fifty-two and Number Seventy-four Villages.

Mr. Mustapha explained that in almost every sector there was an increase in the amounts allotted this year. He described 2009 as being successful. Some $276 million was expended in 2009 on several programmes along with an additional $180 million that was used for road work last year.

After the 2009 Capital Work Programme was said to be completed in November, contracts were signed for work on an additional 39 community roads in the Region Six one month later.

The added funds – $180 million was allocated by the Office of the President/Ministry of Finance/Ministry of Public Works to execute the projects.

In November the Administration had opened bids for the construction of these thoroughfares in areas such as Angoy’s Avenue, Canefield, Number Nineteen, Fort Ordnance, Fyrish/Gibraltar, Hampshire/Kilcoy, Rose Hall Town, John’s Port Mourant, Whim/Bloomfield, Lancaster/Hogstye, Bush Lot/Number Twenty-eight, Black Bush Polder, Number Fifty-one/Good Hope, Number Fifty-two/Seventy-four, Corriverton and Crabwood Creek. These were said to be identified after consultation sessions across East Berbice/Corentyne.

All of those roads should have been completed by December 31st last to make way for the 2010 schedule.  But when the Region Six Chairman presented his 2010 Budget, he said some were not finished due to the shortage of materials and other setbacks. Last year some $31 million was also spent in 2009 to help village councils maintain their thoroughfares.

This year, several streets in Goed Bananen Land, Palmyra, Fyrish, Bloomfield, Limlair, Liverpool, Letter Kenny, Letter Kenny, Whim, Babu John, West Canje and other communities with the focus on newly developed housing schemes are to be done.

A $70 million contract was awarded for the rehabilitation of the road leading to the Albion Estate. Work began three weeks ago. A few weeks ago workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation East Berbice – Albion Estate along with residents staged a demonstration to express their frustration with the condition of the said thoroughfare.

Recently, a team from the Region Six Administration accompanied by officials from the Finance Ministry visited several localities in Region Six with a view of identifying other roads in need of work and this comes with additional funds.

The Central Government would be spending US$6 million to resurface the East Canje Road between Sheet Anchor and Gangaram this year and the Black Bush Polder Road from Adventure to Number Forty-three Village. According to Mr. Mustapha, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced this decision at the opening of the 2009 Berbice Expo and Trade Fair at Albion.

The $27 million allocation for bridges this year would be used to build eight heavy duty structures at Black Bush Polder, Crabwood Creek, Liverpool, Manchester, Susannah and other areas in addition to other ventures.

In the education sector, this year’s budgetary allocation would be used, inter alia, on the construction of a nursery school at Port Mourant, to extend the Kildonan Primary, Winifred Gaskin and the New Amsterdam Secondary Schools and for remedial work at the Practical Instruction Center in New Amsterdam.

For the Health sector, the Baracara Health Center is listed for an overhaul and the drug bond at the New Amsterdam Hospital is to be made bigger. A live-in Medex may be placed at the Baracara facility and a boat and engine are to be bought to allow for easier access to that location.

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