— for flood relief, vaccines, other emergency interventions

THE National Assembly last night approved a $21.3 billion Supplementary Budget for the remainder of 2021. The funds will be spent on addressing a number of key issues, including the ongoing floods; the purchase of more COVID-19 vaccines; the execution of much-needed repairs to the Demerara Harbour Bridge and increased support for the Guyana Sugar Corporation.

As it relates to flooding, the House cleared a sum of $10 billion which will be spent on intensifying the government’s relief efforts, particularly as it relates to the provision of food, sanitary and medical supplies to those affected. The supplementary funds for flooding will also facilitate the execution of critical emergency repairs to a number of public infrastructures such as roads and bridges that have been destroyed by unprecedented levels of floodwaters.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips informed the National Assembly that the government’s flood response is being rolled out in phases, and that the recovery phase will cater to the rebuilding of livelihoods and communities in a way that mitigates disasters.

“Government will work during recovery to assist people to move to safer grounds; at the end of it, we will have a more resilient approach,” the PM indicated.
He said that currently, the government is focusing heavily on addressing the immediate needs of the affected residents and communities. “What is happening now is relief operations,” the Prime Minister posited.

Further, the National Assembly also approved some $1.9 billion for the Ministry of Health. These monies will go towards the procurement of more COVID-19 vaccines; the purchase of three ambulances and a pick-up; the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and other pharmaceuticals for the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The supplementary budget also caters for $1.5 billion for the restructuring of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha told the National Assembly that so far, 40 per cent of the works to restructure GuySuCo has been completed.
The Ministry of Public Works also received some $623 million to rehabilitate the retractor spans of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. According to subject minister Juan Edghill, the urgent repairs stem from neglect, and failure to address key maintenance issues of the structure.

Edghill warned that in addition to the already allocated monies, the bridge will also require an additional $412 million to fix its neglected anchorage system.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport also benefited from $186 million which is expected to go directly towards the Sports Department’s Ground Enhancement Programme. The Ministry of Home Affairs also benefited from an allocation to help bolster the operations of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

The funds were secured just as Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, piloted the Supplementary Appropriation Act which was passed following meticulous scrutiny and lively debates late Monday night.