THE National Assembly has approved budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Housing and Water, and for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.After intense questioning from the Opposition on a number of proposed expenditures, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan was able to defend the provisions and allocations made in Budget 2015, resulting in the Assembly approving the Current and Capital Expenditures for the two ministries.
The Ministry of Communities allocation also received the green-light from both sides of the House. However, the ministry is yet to be gazetted as an existing institution.
Following the change of Government in May, the Ministries of Local Government, and Housing and Water were brought under the single umbrella of the Ministry of Communities.
The allocations approved include provisions for the period January 1 to August 31, 2015, when the ministries were listed separately, and provisions for the Ministry of Communities, for the period September 1 to December 31, 2015.
The Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) received an allocation of $111.2M. This programme aims to improve drainage and irrigation, as well as the environment.
The Community Road Improvement Project (CRIP) that targets institutional strengthening and project administration, along with the completion, construction and rehabilitation of community roads, will receive M$101 million.
Also, the Infrastructural Development and Building Project received $1.1 Billion for the paving of roads, drains, structure and pure water distribution networks in several areas including Sophia, Charity, Hope, and Farm, among others. Further, the Low Income Settlement Programme II that was also catered for in this allocation received $261.2 million.
The Water Supply Rehabilitation-Linden that aims to achieve improved quality of water has an allocation of $457.8 million.
Under the new Ministry of Communities, $359 million has been allocated under the capital subvention programme for the municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
The Infrastructural Development and Building Project that targets the improvement of facilities, received an allocation of $499.1 million while the Georgetown Restoration Programme that aims to improve the environment of the city, received $300 million.
Further, the Coastal Water Supply Project received $422 million. This project is aimed at improving the efficiency of water supply along with improved health and well-being.
Among ongoing projects that fall under the ministry’s purview are the CRIP that received an allocation of $206.7 million, and the Water Supply and Infrastructural Improvement Programme that received a total of $949.7 million; this aims at improved water capacity.

Sustainable Communities Management
This is a new programme that is catered for under the Ministry of Communities and captures three sub-programmes: the Strategic Direction and Management, Regional Management & Development, and Local Government Management & Development.
The Sustainable Communities Development is also a new programme under the ministry that comprises two sub-programmes that are Strategic Sustainable Settlement Service, and Water & Sanitation Service. (GINA)