A golden opportunity would have been lost in the early hours of yesterday’s Parliamentary consideration of the National Estimates of allocations for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

This is the view of subject Minister, Ganga Persaud who told this publication that as a result of the special interests being pursued by several of the members in the House “we lost some moments to really look at other line items which could have provided an opportunity to provide to the general public to have a better insight into what is contained in budget.”
Persaud was responding to the plethora of questions that had centered on former Ministers of Government, Clinton Collymore and Harripersaud Nokta.
The House yesterday resolved itself into Committee of Supply to consider the estimates, at which point in time members of the Opposition zeroed in on the contracted employees of the Ministry’s Main Office.
Persaud told the House that Nokta had been contracted by the Ministry as a Hinterland Coordinator while Collymore had been contracted as a Ministerial Adviser.
He said that both men had been contracted ever since 2007 and are retained on an annual basis.
Persaud also responded to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Ronald Bulkan, who had suggested to the House that the monies for the Ministry had been masked across various agencies.
The minister informed the House that Bulkan’s assertions couldn’t withstand scrutiny.
Persaud during the course of the evening was grilled on each section of the various agencies under his remit particularly over staffing details to which he readily provided answers.
Vice-Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Moses Nagamootoo in response to the answers provided to the House said that his party would no longer be prosecuting the signalled intention to cut the allocations for contracted employees.
Responding to prior concerns regarding overpayments to contractors, particularly for projects being undertaken in Region 2, Persaud informed the House that a considerable amount of time had been spent in 2012 ‘enhancing its monitoring and evaluation capacity.
He said that he is optimistic that this will translate to the better management of the projects under the Ministry’s remit and that the issue of overpayments to contractors is consciously being addressed.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, was also grilled on several capital projects, particularly as it relates to the first three administrative regions.
Among the projects he provided the House with information for were several critical bridges to be completed in 2013 in Region 1 (Barima/Waini).

Whittaker spoke of a $15.5M bridge that the Ministry will be undertaking across the Wauna Creek, which he said will provide access to several villages, benefitting more than 2,000 persons.
Whittaker also informed the House of works to be done on an 800-foot bridge at Whitewater.
According to Whittaker, while this project will not be completed this year some $13M will commence the project inclusive of some 250 feet of revetment work.
He said that the project will be completed in the coming year.
Whittaker also told the House that a bridge will be constructed in the Matarkai sub-region under the allocations for the Ministry.
He said that some $8.5M will be replacing the only timber bridge at the Citrus Grove locale.
According to Whittaker, as a result of heightened mining activities in the area the bridge has deteriorated to the point where it has to be replaced.
Among the allocations for which the substantive minister also provided a range of answers to House is the Haags Bosch landfill site for which the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce had expressed concerns over prior to the reading of the budget.
Persaud told the House that the project “like any other one has different phases.”
He said that the Haags Bosh project is no exception and that there is a consistent need for cells at the site to be excavated, materials placed compaction, and filling among other activities.
“Construction with a landfill site is a job that is never done,” Persaud said.
Following the weekend break the House will again resolve itself into Committee of Supply where it will continue considerations of the allocations for Region’s 4 to 10.