IN keeping with its mandate to ensure a better Guyana, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (LGRD Ministry) has kept apace of the current respective status of regional work programmes across Guyana.

At a press conference Friday at the LGRD Ministry at Kingston Georgetown, Permanent secretary of the subject ministry, Mr Collin Croal, reported on the present status of both capital and current programmes of the various administrative regions of Guyana.

He pointed out that the LGRD Ministry recognises that all the regions have commenced capital and current works, and are working rapidly to reach the timeline set by the ministry for completion of their respective projects.

Croal said that all the regions have been asked to aim for November 30 for completion of outstanding projects.

In regard to the level of completion of capital work programmes, he listed the following:
Works at Region 1 (Barima/Waini) are 30 percent complete.
Works at Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) are 41.92 percent complete.
Works at Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) are fifty percent complete
Works at Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) are 52 percent complete
Works at Region 5(Mahaica/Berbice) are 54.1 percent complete

Works at Region 6(East Berbice/Corentyne) are 40 percent
Works at Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) are 34 percent complete
Works at Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) are 34 percent complete
Works at Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) are 45 percent complete
Works at Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) are 30 percent complete.

An overall percentage of approximately 42 percent of capital programmes countrywide has been completed.
On the subject of the current work programmes in the region, which include the day-to-day operational expenditures for the maintenance programmes under various categories, such as education, health, public works etc, an overall quantum of 63 percent has been implemented so far.

The Permanent Secretary commended the regions on the extent of the work done to date. He listed the following:
– Region 1 – 56 percent
– Region 2 – 70 percent
– Region 3 – 63 percent
– Region 4 – 64 percent
– Region 5 – 68 percent
– Region 6 – 62 percent
– Region 7 – 60 percent
– Region 8 – 53 percent
– Region 9 – 59 percent
– Region 10 – 63 percent

Croal posited that the LGRD Ministry has been receiving regular updates from the regions about their performance, so as to resolve whatever issues they may have.