The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling on government to establish an Engineering Committee at the level of Cabinet that will bring some coordination to the huge number of projects that are undertaken by various ministries. The party made this call during its weekly press conference held on Friday.
APNU leader David Granger said a step in this direction is necessary, given the number of delays and substandard work that has been carried out over the years, on many infrastructural projects, countrywide.
He posited that the current administration does not have a comprehensive plan to improve or increase public infrastructure assets and therefore, the committee will serve to address these issues.
“Deteriorating public infrastructure is impeding national development. Rickety stelling, congested city streets, failing ferries, deteriorating hinterland airstrips, broken bridges, impassable roadways, weakened kokers and sea defenses have become impediments to everyday commuting, communication and commerce.”
Granger also listed five keys areas of infrastructure development that needed urgent improvement. The first being air transportation. He said at least 44 more frequently used airstrips in the hinterland receive only marginal maintenance. This, he believes, is a contributory factor to aviation accidents in the country.
Road transportation
According to him, road transportation is also another area that needs serious attention. Granger said traversing some roads is very agonising, while many major bridges are in a deplorable state. He also made reference to the collapse of sections of the Demerara Harbour Bridge in July 2012, and the temporary collapse of the Moco-Moco Bridge, as examples of the poor works being done in this area.
Further, Granger noted that river transport faces a worst situation, as its ageing fleet of ferries is a “maritime nightmare”.
He told media operatives that these same ferries are becoming increasingly uneconomical to maintain. In addition to that, Granger said the Bartica, New Amsterdam, Parika, Rosignol, Stabroek, Vreed-en-Hoop and Wakenaam stellings are all in need of rehabilitation.
Speed boat associations are also demanding to have safer facilities for daily riverine traffic.
Touching on another area, the leader of the opposition said Guyana’s sea defence remains poor, stating that the Public Works Ministry cannot competently cope with the challenge of maintaining them. Breaches and overtopping is another area that needs serious attention, as this cause major flooding to both residential and farming communities, especially in coastal parts of the country.
The APNU, he said believes that government’s E-governance Project Unit was unprepared to adequately supervise the installation of the 560-kilometes fibre-optic cable from Lethem to Georgetown.
Poor work
Granger clarified that APNU is not in disagreement with the project, but rather the poor works being executed by contractors.
“Guyana needs a plan to coordinate the efforts and consolidate the resources of various state agencies which seem to be involved in public infrastructure work.”
Granger stated that public works, housing and water, local government and regional development and the natural resources and environment ministries and the Office of the President have all been administering various infrastructural projects.
This, the party said, may be one of the reasons there is a huge number of substandard works being carried out on all the areas mentioned.
APNU is therefore calling on government to formulate a coherent policy and comprehensive infrastructural plan in order to avert confusion in the delivery of services and to ensure value for money.
The opposition leader said this call should not go unheard, but must be taken into serious consideration to ensure that development takes place in the way it ought to, especially in making sure that commuting is made easier and that there is no impediment to trade.
