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Robeson Benn: Opposition must stop “errant” court action
– Hopes recent road work is not targeted
Deeming court action undertaken by the Opposition as “errant” and “misguided”, Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn expressed hope that the recently commenced US$47M road project is not stalled or impeded by the Opposition.
Speaking at the launch of the high-budget West Coast Demerara Road Improvement project on Thursday, the Public Works Minister said that a failed parliament had been difficult for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration.
“We know we had just had the ending of the Tenth Parliament and I would say it’s a very torturous experience. Having a failed parliament…has put us to the point where we have to go to elections two years ahead of the Presidential term,” Benn said.
He further said the Opposition had made things difficult for the administration by pushing for frequent court matters. “The Opposition has had us going to court frequently; our Attorney General [Anil] Nandlall has had to go to court to defend frequent issues in respect to expenditure for roads and other infrastructure and initiatives the government is intending to undertake,” Benn lamented.
Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn
“I hope that this road project will not see another attack in the courts or any quarter in respect to the launch, the investment or the execution. There should be no hindrance towards the putting in place of this road.”
Benn said that the PPP administration has “unabashedly” pushed for investments because there is a desire to see the development and “continued progress” in Guyana. He said too that the government’s continued commitment to development is being witnessed by other entities which, in turn, invest in the nation. One such body Benn said was the Caribbean Development Bank which made a sizeable investment in the US$47M WCD road project.
“It certainly has to be because they have an interest in the fact that Guyana has not only assured its own food security but that Guyana, through its rice and other agricultural produce…will assure the region’s food security of the Caribbean by the export of its products.
“So, we will want to hope that we don’t have a continuation of what I call errant and misguided resorts to the courts to stop what are plainly investment projects intended for the development, for the well-being of all Guyanese people and also the well-being and development of the Caribbean region.”
The recently commenced roadway, which stretches some 30.7 kilometres from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, is expected to be completed in about 36 months. The contracted companies are BK International and Jamaican company Surrey Paving and Aggregate (SPA) Limited.
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