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Govt says $25.5B was spent on road development in six months

Sep 12, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report for 2024 has disclosed that the sum of $28.9 billion was expended on road and bridge development during the first half of the year. Of this amount, $25.5 billion was spent for road development, while $3.5 billion was spent on bridge projects.

The report stated that ongoing efforts are focused on the development of roads throughout Guyana’s hinterland regions, including areas such as Kwebanna, Lethem, Mabaruma, Matthew’s Ridge, and South Pakaraimas.  Projects in these areas are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Additionally, the sum of $9.5 billion was expended across the ten regions for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of access and interconnecting community roads.  The Government of Guyana (GoG) has been investing heavily into the infrastructure sector. In fact, in this year’s budget Government allocated $221.4 billion to the Ministry of Public Works, with the sum of $204.1billion being allocated to roads and bridges.

However, concerns were raised about the government expending taxpayers’ dollars and contractors doing substandard works. Recently, President Irfaan Ali commissioned Schoonord to Crane four-lane highway, which cost $15.1 billion, to help alleviate traffic congestion in Region Three. This project falls under the Ministry of Housing and Water. The Department of Public Information (DPI) had reported that the sum of $76.517 billion was specifically earmarked for housing development, with $69.317 billion allocated for highways, including projects such as Eccles to Diamond, Great Diamond, Meer – Zorgen to Schoonord, Schoonord to Crane, and Great Diamond to Craig.

Kaieteur News visited the Schoonord to Crane Highway just a few days after it opened and found sections of the walkway to the newly built road already crumbling. The issue was first highlighted by social media commentator Francis Michael Bailey. Bailey shared a video in which he pointed out a number of issues with the road.  Bailey pointed out that though new, the road was already patched at some parts. In addition, the area that was left as a walkway for commuters had a number of defects including cracks, and the exposed rebars made from steel which is a tripping hazard for pedestrians. Foreign objects such as plastic and pieces of wood appeared to be mixed into the blocks that made the walkway giving it a rough finish.

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