PUBLIC Works Minister Robeson Benn, like his fellow colleagues on the government’s side of the House, was yesterday scrutinised intensely by the parliamentary opposition parties, before his ministry’s estimates of expenditure were passed by the National Assembly. On the third day of the ongoing sectoral consideration of the 2012 estimates of expenditure in the Committee of Supply for the $192.8 billion 2012 national budget, Minister Benn was grilled for just over two hours on the current and capital expenditure outlined for the Ministry of Public Works, including on its programme for  ministry administration, Public Works, and Transport.
The largest ever budget in the country’s history was presented more than two weeks ago by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh under the theme ‘Remaining on Course, United in Purpose’.
Beginning with details outlined under the current expenditure of the ministry’s administration, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Joseph Harmon, got the ball rolling by firstly asking Minister Benn to explain why clerical and office support staff would be reduced by more than 25 percent this year.
Benn said the reduction was due to persons being removed from being statutory into being contracted employees, but Harmon requested to know why contracted employees increased by one from 2011; so Benn explained that that was a result of people leaving by retiring from the ministry.
Harmon asked Minister Benn to explain why the figure remained the same for 2012 with staff reduced to 17; when, with a staff of 24 in 2011, the budget allocation was $11.746M. Minister Benn replied that it was  a result of the eight percent salary increase.
Harmon then moved to subsidies and contributions to local organisations. He asked Minister Benn to provide the Committee with details of this, observing that in 2010 and 2011, the subsidies amounted to $50M each year, and then there was a budgeted allocation in 2012 for $500M.
Benn said that increase was because of allowances being made for a subsidy to the Transport and Harbours Department in an amount of $500M with respect to fuel.
Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader and MP, Khemraj Ramjattan, in following up, asked about the details of that; and Minister Benn explained that it represented fuel subsidies for all of the vessels. He noted: “We have always made provisions for fuel, and it is being made for all vessels.” An amount of $125M has been allocated for the roll-on roll-off ferries from China.”
APNU MP Ms. Volda Lawrence, continuing on that issue, asked Minister Benn to tell the House how many vessels were catered for with the $50M allocated in both 2010 and 2011. She also asked how many more vessels would be added to the fleet.
The minister said eight vessels were catered for, and he explained that as the vessels get older, they use more fuel; and the advent of the two new vessels is intended to reduce the operational hours on the two, which are basically replaced.
He added, “There have been longer travel times for all of the vessels, since we have moved them over to the Essequibo passage. This requires much more fuel than they would have (consumed) if we were still on the Berbice passage, and that is basically the fundamental reason why you have the increase.
We have had, in the past, some cross subsidies from the Maritime Administration Department to the Transport and Harbours Department with respect to its fuel needs.”
Benn said there are some changes in their revenues, which makes it necessary for some of that funding to be taken over.

Turning to capital expenditure, APNU MP Renis Morian asked Minister Benn about the buildings to be rehabilitated, and the minister outlined that the Prime Minister’s Office on Wight’s Lane, Kingston; the residence of the Prime Minister, and the De Winkle Building mainly housing the Ministry of Local Government and the Public Service Commission were being considered for rehabilitation.
In terms of current expenditure for public works, questions were similarly thrown by Backer on contracted employees. She asked the minister to indicate the positions of the 12 contracted workers listed.

The minister said they include a Chief Electrical Inspector, six engineers, two electrical technicians, two office assistants, and a tool room attendant.
Lawrence again asked the Minister how many bridges his ministry intended to carry out maintenance work on, and he replied that works would be done on a number of bridges, such as all the bridges from Vlissengen Road to Mandela Avenue; East Coast Demerara Public Road from Ogle to Buxton; repairs on the East Bank of Demerara Public Road; and the Soesdyke-Linden Highway; Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue; and the West Coast of Demerara Public Road.

Asked by APNU member Africo Selman which main roads of Sections ‘A’ to ‘F’ Sophia had been identified for rehabilitation, Minister Benn said that Sophia was under the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), and there were interventions being made there under the Community Roads Improvement Project (CRIP). However, they had intervened in Sophia for two of the main access roads last year; and for this year, his ministry has scheduled under the Urban Roads programme for ‘B’ Field Sophia to the tune of $33M.

On maintenance of sea and river defences, the minister, in answering questions in that regard by Backer, said the main expenditure would be towards all of the districts of $140M. Benn confirmed that it is for street lights and traffic lights, on the declared public roads.
Alluding to a substantial increase for travel and subsistence, he said it related specifically to the travel and subsistence for the Electrical Inspectorate Division, whose officers were going out constantly into the regions to do inspections and checks and maintenance works.

For the capital expenditure for public works, Minister Benn was pressed about the Amaila Access Road project and the Georgetown – Lethem Road as well.  He was also asked about provisions for bridges, culverts, roads for and road safety.
It was noted that $10M would be spent for rehabilitation at the Port Kaituma Stelling. Minister Benn noted that the tender documents for that were now being prepared, and also he noted that the tender ticketing system at Parika/Supenaam was currently being implemented and was expected to be completed in six weeks’ time.

AFC Member Valerie Garrido-Lowe, referring to a $20M for the studies on the Georgetown/Lethem Road, asked about details of this.
The minister noted that they have to pay for the completion of the studies for the entire road, noting, “I think I reported in the debate that we had completed the study. We had received the completed study, but we were doing reviews, which should be finalised by the end of this month.”
He further informed that it was a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the government had contributed US$200,000 to the study.

Questions were posed by some opposition members on the Amaila Access Road, for which $2.4 billion has been allocated for the upgrade of 85km of existing roads and 110 km of virgin roads from Mabura Hill Road to Amaila Falls.
Other issues raised included companies providing security services, vehicle spares and services and contracted workers. Questions were also asked on air and transport works.

In 2012, $11.8 billion has been budgeted for roads and bridges, of which $10.9 billion will be spent on roads and $964 million on bridges respectively. $1.3 billion has been budgeted for the completion of the 30.5 km of all-weather roads in the Black Bush Polder, and East and West Canje areas; $2.2 billion has been budgeted for the modernisation and expansion of the four-lane access road to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport; extension of the four-lane highway from Providence to Diamond; and widening of the highway from Better Hope to Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara. $5.5 billion has been allocated to construct, rehabilitate and maintain urban, rural and hinterland roads; while $2.4 billion has been allocated for the upgrade of 85 km of existing roads and 110 km of virgin roads from Mabura Hill Road to Amaila Falls.
In air and river transport in 2012, $4.5 billion has been budgeted for the upgrade, expansion and modernisation of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport; $180 million was allocated for rehabilitation of airstrips in Lethem, Imbaimadai and Ekereku Bottom; the ongoing maintenance of 43 domestic airstrips; $717 million has been budgeted for the docking and rehabilitation of vessels and acquisition of spares; while the Parika and Supenaam stellings will be completed to accept the new roll-on roll-off ferries, which will accommodate 800 passengers and 44 cars or 20 trucks.