Securing the best future for Guyana

Sep 29, 2019 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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“Guyanese will be given the choice to elect a government they trust to continue on this path, to keep moving forward, to secure a better life for every family with the united APNU+AFC Coalition or risk our future by returning to the past.” H.E. David Granger
In an address to the nation, His Excellency David Granger, President of the Cooperative of Guyana informed that the earliest date by which general and regional elections can be held is Monday, March 2, 2020.
APNU+AFC can now head into this elections season with a proud record of accomplishment on which to campaign. Since President Granger’s election, Guyana has been moving in the right direction, after 23 years of stagnation under successive PPP administrations.
In just four short years, significant progress has been made. One area where the APNU+AFC invested heavily is infrastructure. The government spent almost $43B on expanding roads and bridges. In the 2019 Budget, $38.5B was set aside for continued modernisation of our infrastructure. A further $10B was invested to expand and upgrade our main coastal highways in order to ease congestion and gridlock.
Everywhere you go in Guyana you can see signs of the progress that has been made in our country’s infrastructure. Over 350km (217 miles) of roads have been maintained in the hinterland. Urban roads have received long overdue attention. More than 18km (11 miles) of paved roads have been constructed across New Amsterdam, Georgetown, Linden, Corriverton and Anna Regina.
The country’s transportation network of aerodromes, bridges, roads stellings and wharves haven been improved. The Iwokrama aerodrome has been lengthened from 762 metres to 1219 metres. More than 30 hinterland aerodromes have been rehabilitated and maintained. The first phase of the upgrading of the Bartica stelling has been completed.
The four-lane extension of the East Bank Demerara Public Road has been completed, the country’s first pedestrian over pass have been installed across the East Bank Demerara Public Road. Village roads extending over 100km, have been constructed or repaired, including laying asphaltic cement pavements at Leguan, Lusignan and Victoria.
The new capital towns – Bartica, Lethem and Mabaruma – and other hinterland communities have benefitted from the repair of 801.2km of roads. The Vreed-en-Hoop to Parika is completed. Urban roads, extending over 58.3km in Georgetown, Linden and New Amsterdam were repaired.
The APNU+AFC has also addressed the Nation’s power generation needs. New power-generation sets, with a combined capacity of 14.2 megawatts were procured for the towns of Anna Regina and Bartica and for Canefield in the East Berbice Corentyne. Solar energy systems, with a combined output of 3.35megawatts have been installed at various locations including Mabaruma town.
As part of the Green Public Sector programme, a total of 21,700 LED lights and 4,700 occupancy sensors were installed in government buildings all across the country.
The Ministry of Public Telecommunications has established 172 community ICT hubs in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Eight, Nine and 10. The ICT hubs are equipped with more than 1,500 free computers. Several communities have also been provided with free internet at schools and key strategic locations; communities like, Aishalton, Annai, Bartica, Bamia, Baramita, Iwokrama, Lethem, Linden, Mabaruma, Mahdia, Masekanari, Mathews Ridge, Orealla, Paramakatoi, Port Kaituma, Santa Rosa and Waramadong.
The APNU+AFC government programme in the water sector is aimed at increasing access to safe water and reducing the disparity in service between the coastland and hinterland. In four years, more than eight thousand households (more than 31,600 persons) have benefitted from access to potable water for the very first time. Three new water treatment plants have been built at Diamond, Sheet Anchor and Uitvlugt. These water treatment plants provide access to potable water fir more than 50,000 persons.
In cooperation with the Federative Republic of Brazil, eight new wells were dug in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region. More than 4,800 persons in eight indigenous communities in Shea, Maruranau, Awarewaunau, Bashaidrum, Achawib, Karadarnau, Aishalton and Chirkidnau now have access to potable water.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, in collaboration with the residents of Nappi, Haiowa and Parishara villages, Rupununi, and a local contractor – JR Ranch Inc. – constructed one of the first water catchment areas planned for the region. The catchment area is approximately three kilometres in length and the dam is eight hundred metres and is estimated to hold approximately three million cubic metres of water at full capacity.
The water catchment area will serve as a model to demonstrate how employing long-term solutions to water management could help communities to become more resilient to the effects of prolonged drought and El Nino spells and climate change.
By working together, our Coalition has started to put Guyana on the right path. Only by continuing to follow this plan will we be able to guarantee a better future for all Guyanese. In our plan for the decade of development, Guyanese can look forward to a sustainable and robust transportation network.
There will be a continued increase in the number of paved roads, to cut down on time and improve road safety. The Linden to Lethem Highway will begin this year 2019; this road will increase connectivity between the hinterland and the coast as well as with our South American neighbours.
Construction of bridges across the Essequibo River; building improved land transports links to Bartica; completion of the East Coast Demerara Highway Improvement Project; building a new rail network to help move passengers and cargo throughout the country; the expansion of aerodromes to help better connect our hinterland communities; support the establishment of a deep-water port at the mouth of the Berbice and/or Essequibo rivers;
“Guyanese can confidently expect to live in a country that is moving forward; with communities that are safer; in a society that is more cohesive; with better infrastructure, greater access to quality education and an economy that is more resilient-providing better jobs.
We are on the right path. When the elections come, I urge all our people, of whatever background, to support me and the APNU+AFC Coalition to give us the opportunity to secure the best future for Guyana.”

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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