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Tenders open as RDC begins spending Region 10’s $4.7B budget
Region 10’s REO, Dwight John.
Kaieteur News – In the 2021 national budget, Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 has been allocated $4.7B and tenders are already being advertised for capital and current projects under education, agriculture, health, infrastructural and administrative works.
According to Regional Executive Officer (REO), Dwight John, out of the allocated sum, a total of $916M will go towards capital works. Under education, the sum of $274M has been allocated for both capital and current projects.
The majority of the funds, he said, will go to the first phase of construction of schools across the region. These will include a primary school for Bamia/Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc and a nursery school for Hururu, a community in the Upper-Berbice River. Upgrades are also slated for a number of schools including: the One Mile Primary School, Wisroc Nursery School, Watooka Day Primary School, Regma Primary School and the Canvas City Nursery School.
A document provided by the REO, which stipulates the allocation for the various programme heads, shows that a total of $419M will be expended under the health sector, which is the sector benefitting from the largest budgetary cut.
One of the main projects is the extension of the Upper-Demerara Hospital, which is expected to be transformed into a modern infectious disease hospital. Rehabilitation and maintenance of health centres have also been budgeted for, John revealed.
Among the first batch of projects being advertised for tender are the rehabilitation and maintenance of the 58 Miles, Coomacka, Christianburg and Kimbia Health Centres. In an effort to advance agricultural efforts in the region, a sum of $169M has been allocated and two of the main agricultural projects budgeted for are the continuation of the farm to market road from Millie’s Hide Out to the Berbice River and the farm to market road in West Watooka.
In the area of infrastructural development, $21M has been allocated for bridges and $88M for roads. An addition $39M has been allocated for other infrastructural development. According to John, the roads included in the budget were part of those presented to the administration by the RDC following community consultation.
Included in the first batch of tenders are David Rose Avenue to Yuriballi Street, Pine Street Nursery School access road, First Street Rainbow City, Oronoque Drive Retrieve, Ituni internal access road and the Industrial Area access road.
John told Kaieteur News too that the 2021 budget has made provisions for the construction of asphalted roads, which is in response to a motion moved by the Councillors to construct better quality roads to maintain longevity of the structure, while retaining value for monies spent. He said that while the quality of the roads will be better, the quantity of roads usually budgeted for has decreased.
John assured that the region’s administration will ensure this budget, which is one of its largest, is spent effectively so that residents can get value for their money. According to the REO too, systems have been put in place to ensure this is done in a timely manner as well. “We have hired additional Clerks of Work on a part time basis and we will also be employing more evaluators. I have already written and asked for more. We already have 10 and we are looking to hire eight more so that the evaluation process will be done in a shorter time,” he related. He is also committed to ensuring the tendering process is fair and free of corruption and collusion between Tender Board members and officers. The Tender Board currently has five members.
REO John related that the Sub-Region district has not been neglected and has its fair share of projects. “The Government made it very clear that especially hinterland locations must benefit from the funds allocated,” he said. Projects that have been budgeted for in the hinterland district include the construction of a wharf at Kimbia, extension of Health Centres at 58 Miles, Ebini, Malali and DeVeldt; repairs to Calcuni Primary School and Teachers’ Quarters and repairs and maintenance to Teachers’ Quarters at Calcuni, Mabura, 58 Miles and Aroaima.
Community Groups in these communities are invited to participate in the tendering process to boost the socio-economic base of the communities through local content recognition. REO John said too that technical officers will be overseeing the works that will be executed by community groups who will be awarded the projects.
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