The Committee of Supply has passed hundreds of millions in budgetary allocation under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
The consideration of estimates and expenditures for this were completed Wednesday evening at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). The passage of Regions Five and Eight’s expenditures was done without the input of the major Opposition Members of Parliament (MP), since they withdrew from participating.
The sum of $4.8 billion was allocated and approved for Region Five to continue work in the agriculture, healthcare services, education delivery and public works sectors.
A disaggregation of current expenditures will show that $261 million was allocated for regional administration and finance; $311 million for agriculture; $332 million for public works; $2.6 billion for education delivery and $1.3 billion for healthcare services.
Notably, under healthcare services, a regional storage bond is slated to be constructed in Bush Lot, Berbice. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall stated that the bond is part of the upgrading policies of the Ministry of Health, to ensure citizens receive improved services in the region.
Meanwhile in Region Eight, the sum of $190 M was set aside for regional administration and finance; $269 million for public works; $1.4 billion for education delivery; $623 million for health services, while $30 million has been allocated to the agriculture sector. Total current expenditure sums up to $2.5 billion for the hinterland region.
Minister Dharamlall indicated that the government has allocated millions to construct more concrete and cement bridges throughout the region in villages such as Kaibarupai ($25M) and Micobie ($12.5M). Importantly, residents from the villages will be hired to construct these bridges. This is part of the government’s policy of generating economic activity within communities.
Regarding road construction, the minister stated that 20 kilometers of the road linking Kurukubaru and Itabac in the North Pakaraimas Mountains will be rehabilitated, with $14 million allocated for this. Between Kato and Kurukubaru, $12 million was provided to upgrade approximately 15 kilometers of the road, while between Kopinang and Kamana, the government has also budgeted $14 million to rehabilitate that road as well.
“Through the Ministry of Public Works, last year, $100 million was expended on the road rehabilitation in the North Pakaraimas and an additional sum in 2022 from the Ministry of Public Works is also allocated for road rehabilitation in the North Pakaraimas,” the local government minister said.
On the education side, the government intends to construct two dorms for the Kato Secondary School. This project is already in its second phase. Nursery schools at Monkey Mountain and Karukubaru, as well as a primary school at Kanapang will be constructed this year.
Under healthcare services, Minister Dharamlall stated that the government will complete the construction of the maternal waiting home in Kato. A health post and staff quarters at Sand Hill Village and a head office and vaccine storage facility will also be constructed, while upgrades will be done to the Mahdia District Hospital and its nurses’ hostel. A central oxygen and medical air system will be installed at this hospital too.
“We will also be doing an extension at the Kaibarupai outpost, for labour and delivery room, and that is of course to treat our mothers with some dignity in these facilities,” he said.
The Budget 2022 totals $552.9 billion and is themed, ‘Steadfast against all challenges, resolute in building our One Guyana.” It contains a slew of measures to create wealth for all Guyanese, and improve their livelihoods. This follows the $383.1 billion national budget in 2021.