Parliament approves $6.2B for critical projects

Jun 03, 2011 News

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A government request for $6.2B in supplementary provisions, to pay for two new Wartsila engines, among other critical projects, was yesterday approved by Parliament.
Tabled in the National Assembly by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on May 20, the additional monies are intended to pay for preparatory works of the widening of the East Coast Demerara roadway between Better Hope and Golden Grove, to the tune of $400M and
$500M for development of the Aurora farmland project, in Region Two.
But the approval did not come without resistance from the opposition parties, who grilled the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on how the money will be utilized.
Some $20.4M will be used to assist Japan’s recovery from a devastating earthquake earlier this year.
In response to questions, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, disclosed that Japan had never requested that specific amount and it was determined from past assistance to other disaster-hit countries, from within the region and elsewhere. The monies will be paid to Japan’s Red Cross.
And $27.2M in outstanding monies for the Linden Municipality was also asked for without any objections.
Farmers affected by the La Nina conditions earlier this year from Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be getting help to the tune of $35M.
According to Minister Robeson Benn, who stood in for Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, the monies will be allocated to assist farmers in Mahaica with seeds, drugs and fuel, among other important items.
PNCR’s Mervyn Williams yesterday signaled his intentions to be present when the assistance is being handed out and requested pertinent details.
Spy agency?
An additional $11M for the Office of the President, on top of the $15M budgeted for this year, will be used to purchase closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. Government had announced a while ago to install such cameras in the city.
Alliance For Change (AFC) parliamentarian, Sheila Holder, asked if the cameras are being bought for a “spy agency” that government is establishing. However, Junior Finance Minister Jennifer Webster stated that she is unaware of any ‘spy agency’.
The $510M for the Agriculture Ministry came under intense scrutiny by the opposition.
Questioned by Mervyn Williams whether the money was being instead used to push works on the $3B Hope Canal project, Minister Benn denied this and stressed that it will be spent on excavation of the Aurora farmlands development, among other works.
PNCR’s Lance Carberry questioned whether the provisions were being taken similar to installments, instead of with proper planning, and likening it to layaway plans, which also drew a sharp retort from Benn, who insisted it was because of prudent management and efficiency on projects that additional monies were being sought.
The Minister promised to provide a breakdown on how the money will be spent and declined to say whether government could return later this year for more, as there remains uncertainty about the weather and other factors.
West Dem. highway reHAB
Roads in Linden, Georgetown, Cane Grove and the rehabilitation of the West Coast Highway will cost more than $720M. The Cane Grove road upgrade will be to the tune of $45M while the West Coast highway works will cost almost $140M. The budget had allocated more than $900M for this back in January.
According to Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, the $280M being asked for by his ministry will be to pay off a current project to furnish several schools with fully-equipped computer labs. This was done through the official tendering process with each desktop computer costing around $140,000.
The Minister assured that the school project is being implemented closely with the government’s One Laptop Per Family project.
Another $252M to improve water supply in the hinterlands will see the installation of 28 solar-driven systems, the addition of eight boreholes and building of 26 trestles, Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, explained yesterday. It will also see the rehabilitation of two water distribution systems in Orealla and Monkey Mountain.
Ali also assured PNCR’s Mervyn Williams, in response to a query, that works are ongoing to repair a downed water system at Karasabai, but rains had halted operations.
Answering AFC’s Sheila Holder on whether government has a system to ensure the quality of solar-driven water pumps, Ali noted that tender documents insist that these are of a certain standard.
Wartsila plant
Meanwhile, regarding the $3.87B being asked to cover the provision of a 15.6 megawatt Wartsila plant to boost electricity supply, Minister Benn disclosed that annual demands have been rising between 5-7% within the last few years.
According to PNCR’s Lance Carberry, government has been consistently adding more power, but there was a clear absence of projections of what the situation would be in the next five years. He noted that the laws compel GPL to meet demands, but blackouts have been constant.
Benn explained that though engineers say that GPL has a capacity of 118mw, the reality is that around 82mw is readily available. The problem, he stressed, is having this constantly available. The additional 15.6mw is expected to give some breathing room and allow for engines to be taken off for critical maintenance.

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