THE National Assembly on Monday approved the estimates of expenditure for Region 5- Mahaica/Berbice) after Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, answered all questions posed by the Opposition benches.

Out of this year’s allocation of $1,819,462, a total of $99.4M is budgeted for regional administration and finance, agriculture-$194.7M, public works- $186.7M, education-$1B, and health services-$321.7M.
AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan sought an explanation with regard to sums allocated for the maintenance of buildings under the regional administration’s budget. Minister Whittaker said that these include the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) main office at Fort Wellington, Regional Executive Officer’s living quarters, RDC’s sub-regional office at Mahaica and the guest house at Fort Wellington.
APNU Member of Parliament Winston Felix inquired about the sums allocated for training and scholarships and the minister said that such training will be done at the levels of the RDC and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). It will include internal and external training for officers and overseers.
This year, the region will be carrying out repairs to a number of farm to market roads. These include those at Esau and Jacob at a cost of $5M, Champagne, Mahaica- $3M, Hyde Park- $3M, Novar-Dundee – $2M, and Abary- $2M.
Additionally, significant repairs will be carried out to two bridges at Rosignol at a cost of $4M and $3.5M respectively.
Meanwhile, Felix asked if the entire length of the Burma road will be rehabilitated and Minister Whittaker explained that the Local Government Ministry’s current budget caters for rehabilitation works on the same road. However, the Ministry of Agriculture’s capital budget also makes provision for works to be done on this road, owing to its importance to rice farmers.
APNU‘s Region 5 representative, Jennifer Wade, sought explanations as it relates to sums for the purchase of a vehicle. The minister explained that a 4×4 pickup will be purchased for the region’s Agriculture Department to transport officers to check on sluices and other vital projects.
Under the ministry’s Public Works budget, a total of $34.3M will be expended on the general rehabilitation of roads. These include the Burma branch road to the tune of $9M, De Hoop branch road- $8.8M, Weldaad road- $3.5M and Rosignol road networks- $4M, just to name a few.
With regard to allocations for education delivery in the region, AFC MP Veerasammy Ramayya questioned the increase of funds to be spent on security services. Minister Whittaker, in his response, informed the House that a total of 72 security guards have been contracted to provide services at six nursery, 19 primary, and  seven secondary schools and two Practical Instruction Centres (PICs).
Wade also questioned the $5.9M increase for benefits and allowances under the education budget. The Minister told the House that this increase will accommodate Whitley Council, vacation, travelling and uniform allowances for teachers.
The MP also inquired about allocations for training and Minister Whittaker explained that this would facilitate workshops and seminars for nursery, primary and secondary schools, specifically designed to bolster literacy and numeracy levels.
It will also include training for teachers, particularly in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT), workshops for head teachers, and workshops on child-friendly schools, Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) and HIV/AIDS.
The sum of $6M will go towards the purchase of a 32ft boat with a 90 horsepower engine to transport students to school from riverine communities such as First Savannah, Mora Point and Wash Clothes Mahaicony.
With regard to the region’s budget for health services, $8M is budgeted for the construction of the Diabetic Foot Care Centre at Fort Wellington Hospital, a building that is estimated to be 20 ft x 40ft.
Additionally, works will be carried out to extend the wards at the Mahaicony Hospital and the construction of a storage bond, provision of a water purification system at the Fort Wellington Hospital, and the purchase of several pieces of equipment.
These include high and low speed hand pieces, refrigerators, a phlebotomy chair, transcutaneous nerve stimulators, diagnostic audiometers, an otoacoustic emission screener, a tympanometer, a wall-mounted X-ray machine, ultrasonic scalers and a neurological bed.