THE policies and programmes of the PPP/C administration are not based on ethnicity, religion or location, but only on the needs and the aspirations of the Guyanese people.
Housing and Water Minister, Irfaan Ali, affirmed this on Wednesday during the signing of contracts valued at $268M for the implementation of the Community Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP) in the Port Mourant/John area. Scores of residents gathered to witness the signing ceremony at the Rambalass Square in Ankerville, Region 6 ( East Berbice /Corentyne ).
More than 15,000 persons living in the area are estimated to benefit from the rehabilitation of 8.4 kilometers or 27 community roads with double bituminous surface treatment (DBST) or asphaltic concrete (AC).
Ali pointed out that before the project came to fruition, consultations were held with the community members and several key issues were identified to be addressed, including roads, water and the market.
He explained, “These were the priority issues raised by the residents and I am very proud to stand here and say to you that all the issues raised have been addressed by this PPP/Civic government, and I want to assure you that we are going to continue to work to ensure that the quality of life that residents receive in these communities matches the quality of life of residents anywhere in our country.”
The minister took the opportunity to remind the gathering of a time in the country’s history when most of the investments and resources were concentrated in urban areas and when opportunities for people in other areas were non-existent.
According to Ali, the situation is much different today. He said, “You would recall when we took the decision to invest in the Berbice (UG) Campus, the criticism that came the government’s way; when we invested in the National Stadium, the criticism that came the government’s way; but all of these facilities today have withstood those criticisms and we are seeing that they have brought development to our people.”
He noted that, as a result of the government’s policy to improve the lives of all people in every region, students from Berbice, Essequibo and other rural areas have topped the Caribbean Secondary Education (CSEC) and National Grade Six Assessment pass lists.
“That is why, when we launched One Laptop Per Family programme, again they are on a bandwagon and questioning this decision; but they are not aware of how a computer can transform lives in poor families, because they have been divorced from the people for too long and don’t understand the needs of the people or the important, essential things that people need to transform their lives today,” Minister Ali stated.
He urged community members to be open and to make it known that they support the programmes  which have so far  improved their quality of life, including the construction  of the Berbice Bridge, the two water treatment plants in the Region, and an investment of more than $10B in the last five years in Housing and Water.
He emphasized that the Government of Guyana remains cognizant of not only the economic aspect of such development, but more importantly, the social aspects, as the PPP/C “believes in governing for the people, with the people, and by the people.”
In addition to the rehabilitation of the community roads, the works in the NDC will include the cleaning, reshaping and regrading existing roadside drains and the construction of new drains, the rehabilitation of four culverts, and the provision of safety features, such as signage, road markings, and speed humps on the programme’s roads.
Region 6 Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha, noted that the region is presently playing a very important role in development and in contributions to the GDP of the country, as opposed to a decade ago.
He explained, “We used to say that we will never have proper roads; today the PPP/C government has ensured that they bring the reality to the people, where the whole of Ankerville and other areas will be rehabilitated, and this shows government’s commitment to improving the lives of residents across the country.”
The Regional Chairman urged the residents to be mindful of and grateful for all the growth and development that the region is witnessing.
H. Nauth and Sons Contracting Company was awarded the contracts for this project.