The stalled Princess Street road project

Dec 17, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

We are increasingly living in a nation where, alarmingly, wrongdoing is normalised by some political leaders, while a culture of public accountability continues to erode. Equally troubling is the extent to which many Guyanese have adopted a posture of silence, failing to consistently hold elected officials accountable for their actions and inactions.

Several weeks ago, I publicly raised concerns regarding the stalled Princess Street road project. The project remains in an unsightly and unfinished state, contributing to persistent flooding, public inconvenience, and undue hardship for residents and businesses in close proximity. Subsequently, I read a letter from a resident of Louisa Road expressing similar concerns, highlighting the disadvantages they continue to face due to the apparent sluggishness of ongoing infrastructural works.

I have taken note of site visits conducted by the Honourable Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, on Monday, December 15, 2025, to several project locations, including Princess Street. These visits followed public exposure and advocacy by residents, concerned citizens, and Members of Parliament. However, what stood out most from the video recordings of the Minister’s remarks were the critical omissions and lack of transparency regarding the management and progress of the Princess Street project.

According to INews Guyana (online media), reported on Tuesday, December 15, 2025, the Princess Street Road expansion project, officially titled Lot 23: Rehabilitation/Construction of Princess Street – Cemetery Road to St. Stephen Street, was awarded to Yhardram & Sons Construction Establishment under a contract valued at $631 million. Works reportedly commenced on November 25, 2024, with a scheduled completion date of September 24, 2025, spanning a contractual duration period of ten months.

Despite this publicly available information, Minister Edghill failed during his site visit to disclose key project details, including the contractor’s name, the project duration, the scope of works, and the contract sum. Instead, he indicated that the contract had been terminated, without providing a termination date and that the remaining works would now be undertaken by the Special Projects Unit (SPU) of the Ministry of Public Works.

Respectfully, this explanation raises serious concerns. From all observable indications, the original contract encompassed road widening and the construction of concrete drainage south of Princess Street. While the SPU is generally tasked with repairing potholes and resurfacing roadways, questions remain as to whether it possesses the technical capacity, equipment, and mandate to execute major drainage works and full-scale road construction, particularly within tight timelines and required quality standards.

Notably absent from the Minister’s remarks was any explanation regarding the project’s financial administration—specifically, the value of payments already made, including mobilisation advances, and the mechanisms in place to recover public funds for unfinished or unmeasured works following the termination of the contract. Such omissions undermine public trust and conflict with the principles of transparency and accountability required under Guyana’s procurement laws. Eventually, this was reported in the article carried by INEWS Guyana.

It is also instructive to consider the Cemetery Road rehabilitation project, which reportedly involved a wider scope of works, including extensive roadway upgrades and drainage improvements. That project was awarded to Avinash Construction Company at a contract sum of approximately $475 million. When viewed comparatively, this disparity raises legitimate questions regarding cost efficiency, value for money, and consistency in procurement decision-making.

When these projects are assessed side by side, it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile the scale, cost, and performance of the Princess Street project with fundamental principles of competence and value for money. The persistent delays, substandard execution, and apparent lack of technical capacity strongly suggest that the contractor may not have possessed the requisite experience to undertake a project of this magnitude and complexity. This, in turn, raises serious concerns about the robustness of the pre-qualifications process, bid evaluation, and ultimate award of the contract.

The challenges surrounding infrastructural development in Guyana extend beyond the Ministry of Public Works. There appears to be a recurring pattern whereby individuals and entities with close political affiliations continue to benefit from lucrative state contracts, despite repeated failures to deliver completed projects within stipulated timelines and technical standards, often without meaningful sanctions.

A striking example is the Belle Vue Pump Station project, initially valued at approximately $856 million and awarded to TEPUI, a company reportedly incorporated less than one year prior to the award. Available public information suggests that the company failed to meet key eligibility requirements outlined in the bidding documents, yet reportedly received mobilisation payments amounting to approximately 30 per cent of the contract value—some $160 million. The project failed to meet its stipulated completion deadline of August 2025.

It has since been reported that the Belle Vue Pump Station contract has now been awarded to GAICO for completion. However, concerns persist, as it has also been reported that limited on-site activity has occurred, raising further questions about project continuity, timelines, and the effective stewardship of public funds.

Editor, it is a sobering reality that corruption has become so entrenched that it is increasingly treated as routine governance. Individuals who should be held accountable continue to walk freely and, in some cases, are awarded additional contracts. This state of affairs is fundamentally incompatible with democratic governance, fiscal responsibility, and sustainable national development.

As I conclude, I call upon all right-thinking citizens to demand accountability from those entrusted with public office. Silence only entrenches maladministration. Citizens must be bold and unwavering in calling upon their government to account for the use of hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars—funds intended to deliver services, infrastructure, and an improved quality of life for all Guyanese.

Yours sincerely,
Annette Ferguson       

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• Annette Ferguson, Letters, Princess Street, road project, Stalled

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