THE stamp of approval was on Wednesday given to Region Eight to receive over $2.1B in improved public infrastructure, agriculture, education and health services delivery.
Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan ensured the approval in the Committee of Supply where he provided additional details of the allocations to members of the opposition.
Allocated with the most funding was education delivery with over $1.1B to go towards wages and salaries; the maintenance of buildings; transportation; provision of equipment; training and more.

Minister Bulkan told the committee that $12.5M will go towards better delivery of the education programme, a 25 per cent increase to what was offered in 2018.
Meanwhile, for better comfort for teachers at staff quarters in the region, the sum of $4.2M will purchase a number of stoves, refrigerators, beds, wardrobes, tables and chairs.

Asked by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP) Pauline Campbell-Sukhai about the details of the $18.5M sum awarded to land and water support, Bulkan said that it would be used to better transport school supplies to children in the region.
As such, vehicles, boats, engines, tractors and trailers suitable for the landscape will be purchased to address the needs in the villages of Kato, Sand Hill and Mahdia.
To address public infrastructure, $351M will be injected into projects aimed at connecting communities; constructing living quarters; and repairing and maintaining existing infrastructure.

Minister Bulkan said 10 roadways will be maintained with the sum of $57.5M. There roads are in the villages of Taruka, Kopinang, Karisparu, Maruwa, Kaibarupai, Maikobi, Tumachumari, Kamana, Orinduik and Maikwak.
In addition, $45.7M will go towards the maintenance of bridges and another $67.5M under capital expenditure will go towards the construction and rehabilitation of bridges in Konawaruk, Kaliburg, Kurukabaru and Elenake.

Regarding health, the opposition questioned the sum $32M remaining unchanged for both 2018 and 2019 for drugs and medical supply in the region with an alleged “drug shortage”.
However, the minister rebutted that reports from the region, stating that the drug supply was adequate and although it remains the same, it is a significant sum being both times 60 per cent higher than 2017.

For the maintenance of drainage and irrigation works under agriculture, $13.5M has been allotted to addresses the needs in the communities of Kato, Paramakatoi and Mahdia.
An additional, $3.5M will go towards training individuals by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).

Some $394M has been allocated to regional administration and finance and Bulkan noted that the sum will go towards furniture and equipment for staff quarters; ATV vehicles for increased monitoring of projects; field materials and other items.