Latest update January 11th, 2025 4:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

PPPC accounting-extra $40M per km of road 

Feb 01, 2023 Editorial

Kaieteur News – This is road engineering taken to another level, and road accounting by some strange convention that is unique to the PPPC Government. Guyanese should take stock of what the Opposition’s former Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr. David Patterson had to say about the higher cost of roads constructed under the PPPC Government, and the diminished quality of work resulting (‘PPP Gov’t paying $40M more on every kilometer of roadwork -Patterson’ -KN January 30).

Since returning to power in 2020, the PPPC Government has embarked on a slew of infrastructure projects, with roads as one of the centerpieces of its visions and efforts. In 2020, it was 175km of roads, in 2021, another 420km, and in 2022, the number was 520km, for a total of 1,115 km built. By any measurement, it is an impressive number of road kilometers undertaken. But as former Minister Patterson said, “the devil is in the details.”

From our standpoint, it is not just one devil, but a couple of them roaming around under the cover of road construction and gorging themselves into a state of massive obesity from taxpayers’ money. First, there is the issue of the quality of the roads being delivered.  According to Mr. Patterson, the quality has diminished, to the extent that Guyanese are getting “half the quality of work.” Half the quality of anything, be it consumable (as in food), or the production of the inedible (like a road) is simply unacceptable. But this has been close to the norm, may even be on the higher side, and for, which both, the PPPC and APNU+AFC (inclusive of prior PNC) Governments have had their share of incompetence, and cleverness.

Too much cleverness is one of those devils, which Mr. Patterson pointed to in the spiraling cost per kilometer of road constructed by the PPPC Government. It is now over by a staggering $40M for each kilometer of road built. Even when allowance is made for the rising price of road construction materials, $40M more per kilometer is taking costs altogether into new territory. It is a rich, sweet spot that has room for a world of skullduggery, the usual corruptions by those with their hands on the levers of power, and those who execute their plans. In the instance of the former, ruling politicians are the ones with their hands in places where they should not be, and regarding the latter, the list is long; for starters, they include men and women in the public service, then expands into the known network of favored PPPC contractors and cronies, and snares those officers of the State, or engaged by it, to supervise and signoff on road projects.  In this scenario, all the politically connected players, and the cooperative, get to share in a piece of the action.

One kilometer and $40M does not amount to much work and much money to divvy up among an army of greedy and corrupt politicians and their executioners in the trenches of near and far-flung regions of Guyana.  But, we invite our readers to return to the number of kilometers of road built from 2020 to 2022, and the picture should become blindingly clear of how much unimaginable crookedness and thievery become possible.  As noted above, it was 175km for less than half of 2020, 420km in 2021, and 520km in 2022.  Multiply anyone, of those numbers from any of those three years of PPPC Government’s road construction by $40M, and one will see how Guyanese taxpayers are being tricked and robbed  numbingly.

In 2020, it was $7B, in 2021, the number soared to $16.8B and in 2022 it blew through the roof to $20.8B that likely found their way into the pockets of PPPC friends, families, and so-called guardians of democracy.  This was what they were guarding, the right to plunder the national treasury, gouge their fellow Guyanese.  Even if some generosity is extended, and only half of those annual amounts was in crooked play, then we are still talking of a total of over $22B stolen by a criminal group of Guyanese under the guise of road construction.  No wonder the PPPC Government has made infrastructure the reservoir into which budget monies are funneled.  It pays spectacularly.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Body of Chinese national who fell from new Demerara River bridge recovered

Body of Chinese national who fell from new Demerara River bridge...

Jan 11, 2025

Kaieteur News- The body of 39-year-old Fu Jian Wei, an employee of China Railway Construction Corporation (International) was recovered from the Demerara River on Friday, the Ministry of Public Works...
Read More
Athanaze posts 98 as Windies start positively in tour match against Pakistan Shaheens

Athanaze posts 98 as Windies start positively in...

Jan 11, 2025

Youngsters seize opportunity, rubbing shoulders with Golden Jags star Omar Glasgow

Youngsters seize opportunity, rubbing shoulders...

Jan 11, 2025

Anderson, Nedd, Lovell hit form as first Harpy Eagles 4-Day practice match bowls 

Anderson, Nedd, Lovell hit form as first Harpy...

Jan 11, 2025

Alvin ‘Geronimo’ Braithwaite to be laid-to-rest January 13

Alvin ‘Geronimo’ Braithwaite to be...

Jan 11, 2025

CFU launches Next Generation Class of 2025 Referees training

CFU launches Next Generation Class of 2025...

Jan 11, 2025

Features/Columnists

  • Dem signs need calibrating

    Dem Boys Seh… Kaieteur News- Dem boys bin pass one of dem fancy speed meter signs wah de guvament put up fuh tell drivers... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]