NOTWITHSTANDING resistance by some Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) leadership to cooperate with the Regional Administration in Mahaica Berbice, Region Five, Regional Executive Officer (REO), Ovid Morrison, says works are still moving apace, with more than half of the Region’s $3.7 billion already spent on works.

Morrison noted that having NDCs installed in respective communities has facilitated appropriate action in the region, since, instead of having to go into each community to find out about issues, the chairmen can instead take over this aspect, and simply report to the Regional administration whenever there is an issue to be dealt with.

“As a result of the restructuring of the local government system, and reintroduction of NDCs, I don’t have to wait for some time down the road for someone from the national level to give information on issues affecting the respective communities, or for something that is needed, I get some information from the local people,” Morrison noted.

“You get that there is a greater consciousness by the people, who demonstrate from their behavior that they understand that they own and are responsible for what goes on in their area. So it helps me now to provide the kind of services that the villages need.

Drainage, for example, I don’t have to walk the entire village or send out officers to find out where needs clearing. The community would inform me by submitting list of drains and canals that they perceive need to be cleared and I would then go to see in the particular NDC whether your drain or canal should take priority over another NDC so I have that ability to make a comparison because the respective NDC bring it to my attention.”

However, Morrison says, it’s not all smooth sailing. There are cases whereby NDC heads know there is an issue in a community, but do not report it to the Regional administration. He says the reasons for this are usually due to the political bias of the NDC heads. He says however the issue is not widespread.

“You have that but it’s not a challenge that you can say is general,” Morrison noted
“That exists because in some of the NDCs heads allow their political persuasion to control their responsibility to the community. So in as much as the resident may bring it to the NDC leadership, that leadership, because of its persuasion, may not communicate that to me. But I would still have a line of communication because sometimes the residents would bring it to my attention directly, but that delays the timeframe.”

There are 10 NDCs across Region 5. Morrison said in his capacity as REO he always tries to ensure that development is taking place across all the NDCs, regardless of political affiliation.

“The Bath Woodley Park NDC, for example, that’s a community that seems to say that government isn’t doing anything for that community. But in 2017, I spent some $45 million in that area, then $40 million in 2018 and right now I am spending money in that community, to show that the government is not looking at whether you voted for me or you’re criticizing me, it’s that your community needed services and our duty is to provide it,” Morrison noted.

“If you visit Mahaica Berbice you would hear the people praising how many roads have been constructed in the area. Take for example the Hopetown community Coop Society got lands and the Food for the Poor build houses. Last year, persons were walking on mud because is only last year the community was established. You go now and you would see we were able to put in ‘crush and run’ roads so that people would be walking and we would be pushing that further because come the end of 2020 we have set our self a target that there must be no earthen road existing in Mahaica Berbice region.”

Morrison proudly announced that as it pertains to his Regions 2019 spending, like years prior, the Region is on track to spend 100 percent of the money allocated in the national budget.

When savings are realized the region would look for other projects that they could finance, and request for permission from central government to utilize the savings.

“Our track record from 2016 – 2018 has shown that we have completed 100 plus percent of our budget. One may ask how we complete 100 plus percent, but that is because when we get savings, we would then look at areas on the budget that we submitted but did not get funding for and we would then write and ask for an inclusion and they would grant it and then we would proceed. So that is the reason I would say 100 plus. From 2016 to date we have been completing our budget on time and 100 percent plus,” Morrison informed.
“For 2019 where we are now? Well as of July 23, we are standing at 59.1 percent of our budget already spent and I can assure you that we would be completing by December 31, and I could say even before December.”

In December 2018, during the 2019 National budget presentations, Region 5 Regional Member of Parliament Jennifer Wade had called the Region’s budget a “blessed budget”, commending the funds invested in all 10 of the NDCs.

Projects budgeted for in 2019 included a new state-of-the art abattoir to be built at Onverwagt; $96 million is set aside for the upgrading of 14 access roads between farms and markets, with another $93 million in the budget for drainage and irrigation works.
Much of the budget went to the rehabilitation and maintenance of drains and channels, as well as rehabilitation of structures and sluices and construction of roads and bridges.