‘No mashing brakes’ – Edghill defends fast-paced infrastructure agenda

The Ministry of Public Works received the largest sectoral allocation in the 2023 National Budget and subject minister Juan Edghill said this sum is necessary to continue the accelerated infrastructure programme of the government.

The Public Works Ministry received an allocation of $158.2 billion out of the $781.9 billion budget. Of that sum, $136 billion has been set aside specifically for roads and bridges.

But opposition lawmaker Vinceroy Jordan accused the government of neglecting road works, primarily in areas deemed to be opposition-aligned.

Edghill, however, rejected this assertion. Instead, he pointed out the differences in spending in the public works sector, explaining that the government is developing everywhere.

Zeroing on the construction of roads, he pointed out that while the APNU+AFC coalition was in government, only about $8 billion was spent on miscellaneous (or community) roads.

In contrast, he said, the PPP/C government spent $45 billion on these miscellaneous roads.

“That was the lethargic, do little state of the APNU+AFC.

“… The same people who are complaining about roads need to be fixed,” Edghill said.

As he knocked the former administration’s track record, he continued to highlight the gains made in his sector.

“Somebody want we mash brakes but we mashing accelerator… because the people of Guyana are impatient, they want development, they want Guyana to modernise and we will develop for them,” Edghill emphasised.

The construction and upgrades of roads and bridges in the hinterland and other parts of the country, upgrading and maintaining sea defences and improving ferry systems are among the improvements the Public Works Minister highlighted.

Importantly, he also noted that there were significant increases in freight and people transported at the country’s international airports.

And all these improvements, he said, come as the government hopes to utilise the country’s resources to fund a rapid transformation of Guyana.