— contract signed for major upgrade of CV Nunes Primary School

SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh on Sunday visited several areas in Region Two where a number of promises made to the Region in May 2022 by President Irfaan Ali were delivered.

On May 25 last, President Ali conducted an outreach to the region where he met with several communities and listened to the concerns of residents. During those visits a number of requests were made by the various communities.

According to a release, during his visit to the various communities on Sunday, the Finance Minister reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring that everything is done to create the conditions in every community, whether in the city or in far-flung areas, for infrastructure and other development as he noted that it is President Irfaan Ali’s vision that the country is developed as ‘One Guyana’ with each area benefitting and developing at rapid pace.

He also emphasised the administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child has access to a good quality education.
Minister Singh’s first stop was at the Mainstay/Whyaka Indigenous community where a Back Blade was handed over to the Mainstay/Whyaka Village Council to maintain the trail from Red Lock Bridge to Mainstay Village Lake.

The release also noted that a quantity of furniture was also handed over to the community for the Mainstay Health Post. Additionally, the minister witnessed the signing of a contract totalling $246M for the upgrade of the road between the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI) and Chinese Lock.

It is expected that this road, which will be upgraded to asphaltic concrete, will benefit students and residents of Mainstay, Lima Sands Housing Scheme, Tapakuma Mission and Feather Beach.
Signing the road contract on behalf of government was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works, Vladim Persaud while the contractor for this project is Mohammed Ramzanali Khan.

Meanwhile, during another stop at Capoey Village, the Finance Minister witnessed the signing of a contract to the tune of $219M between Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Works, Vladim Persaud and contractor Tecnocon Investments for upgrading of the Capoey Lake main access road.

This project, the release noted includes 3,000 metres of road being upgraded to asphaltic concrete, road edge markings and speed humps. It is expected to reduce travel time and transportation cost for students and residents residing in Capoey. It will also serve as a tourism booster as well as aid in other economic activities which the road is used for, such as rice and cash crop farming. Moving further on in the region, Minister Singh stopped at the CV Nunes Primary School where he witnessed the signing of another contract for the extension of the CV Nunes Primary School. The extension will comprise a two-storey building to house 12 additional classrooms, a sanitary facility and a trestle. Maintenance work was recently carried out on the roof ceiling, lights and windows of the current building while drainage works was carried out by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

Dr. Singh also made another stop at Dredge Creek Village where a simple ceremony was held to open the new Dredge Creek Landing which had been a request made by the headmistress, Parent Teacher’s Association (PTA) and Villagers of Dredge Creek during President Ali’s visit in May. The new landing would benefit students, teachers and villagers who previously had to embark and disembark close to the side of a koker from their boats. The new landing was a project between the Ministry of Finance and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) with the Finance Ministry providing $1. 5M and the RDC executing the works required.

Concluding his visit to the region, Minister Singh inspected the upgraded solar panel system at Dredge Creek Primary School. The upgrade to the system was done based on a request made by the school’s headteacher on behalf of students and the PTA of Dredge Creek.