Days after Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo announced that the Government will be increasing the value of contracts that can be awarded directly to communities, some 31 village councils in the North Pakaraimas are set to receive $30 million each to support the execution of priority works within their communities. According to reports, the projects were identified by the communities and will be implemented directly by them, creating local employment, strengthening community capacity and ensuring that public investments respond to the needs of residents. This initiative is being advanced through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. Speaking at the National Toshaos Council Conference (NTC) on Tuesday, the VP told the gathering that the adjustment will allow villages and communities to undertake larger projects and benefit more directly from Government investments.
“We will raise the limit at the tender board for communities from $5 million to $30 million. We will get this done before you leave so that we can give the village a contract of up to $30 million. In the past, it could have only been $5 million. That will significantly change the level of community participation,” Jagdeo said.
He made the announcement while discussing the Government’s allocation of $10 billion this year for hinterland road infrastructure. He noted that while some of the funding has already been committed to major projects, the increased contracting threshold creates an opportunity to revisit how a portion of the remaining funds can be allocated and executed. Among the major projects already earmarked for funding are the continued construction of the road from Moruca to Kwebanna in Region One, improvements to the road network from Mabaruma to Wauna and upgrades to key roadways in Region Nine.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that the Government announced that this year, Guyana will invest $3 billion to assist Amerindian families in building new homes and carrying out repairs to existing ones in villages across hinterland communities. VP Jagdeo said the programme will be implemented in collaboration with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry and village councils, with oversight committees established to ensure that the initiative is managed transparently and fairly. He explained that the Government wanted to avoid complaints of favouritism or exclusion by putting a clear accountability mechanism in place before the programme begins. According to the VP, the allocation of funds among villages will be based on factors such as population size, with further consultation to determine the implementation of the framework.
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