Government wants to plug $3.3B into refashioning of UG’s two campuses

Feb 15, 2021 News

The Government intends to plug $3.3 billion into refashioning the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus and Tain Campus, located in Regions Four and Six respectively.
The revelation was made by the Minister within the Office of the President with the responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh while delivering this year’s budget in the National Assembly on Friday. Singh stated that the University will be refashioned to “better respond to the needs of a modernizing Guyana” which includes advancements through its technology, ensuring materials and courses are made available online.
In light of the aforementioned, $3.3 billion is to be allocated to finance the operations of the two campuses.
Notably, three projects are ongoing at the Turkeyen Campus and were due for completion since last year. The projects are valued at almost $500 million and include the construction of the university’s new Human Resources and Bursary Building, a project for a pump house intended to drain the campus and relieve it from continuous flooding during heavy rains and a project for the modernization of the campus’ sewerage system. The decrepit 55-year-old sewerage system was supposed to be replaced with a new system which also will cater for future expansion of the campus.
In last year’s emergency budget, the government pledged $3 billion to support the university. Of that sum, $221.3 million was earmarked to complete and advance several roll-over projects across both campuses including the new sewer system, the human resources and bursary building, the pump house, the teaching and learning centre and electrical upgrade projects.
Recently, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand would have read the riot act to contractors conducting works on the campus, over their tardiness. Manickchand had warned the contractors to finish within the contractual timeline or face possible contract termination.
Also announced in Singh’s presentation of the budget was an $884 million allocation to equip and retool technical and vocational training centres across the country.”Mr. Speaker, as the economy evolves, the education sector must be positioned to respond to the demands of the labour market. In recognition of this, the education sector will be aggressively intensifying its efforts to increase enrolment in technical vocational education and training institutions as we endeavour to promote non-traditional forms of learning and life-long learning,” Singh said during his presentation.
In total, the education sector has received a $60.7 billion budgetary allocation which is an increase compared to last year’s $52 billion allocation.

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