SENIOR Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, on Thursday approached the National Assembly for supplementary funding in support of a range of developmental initiatives countrywide.

Dr. Singh presented the Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly during the 66th Sitting of the 12th Parliament.

The Bill seeks to secure funds for the construction and rehabilitation of community, urban and hinterland roads; drainage and irrigation works; rehabilitation of health buildings, and school-feeding programmes among many other areas.
Under the Ministry of Public Works, $34.2 billion was sought for various programmes to support this sector, including for the provision of additional resources to facilitate the construction of the Wismar Bridge; upgrading of roads and sea defences in various communities; construction and rehabilitation of a wharf and stellings, and additional resources for the maintenance of the Berbice and Demerara Harbour Bridges.

Further, over $3 billion was sought for the education sector for the provision of more resources to support the school-feeding programme, the provision of grants to schools, the provision of additional resources to facilitate the completion of Good Hope Secondary School, and for the acquisition of additional textbooks.

Under the health sector, $1 billion is being sought for the rehabilitation and upgrade of health facilities countrywide.
To support more development under the Office of the Prime Minister, in terms of the Gas-to-Energy Project, $5 billon was sought for transmission and distribution initiatives.

In addition, a total of $927 million was sought for the provision of more resources to support electricity companies in Linden and Lethem.
The government also remains committed to absorbing the additional cost of services provided by electricity companies so that it does not translate into high electricity bills for the Guyanese people.

Meanwhile, under the Ministry of Agriculture, over $8 billion was sought to cater primarily for drainage and irrigation works countrywide, with additional resources for GuySuCo to facilitate the rehabilitation of lands at the Albion, Blairmont, Rose Hall, and Uitvlugt Estates.

In addition, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, $400 million was sought for additional resources to procure vehicles and boats to boost the operational effectiveness of the Guyana Police Force, and an additional $1 billion was sought for the upgrade of police stations, quarters, other facilities and furnishing and equipment.

Further, under the Guyana Defence Force, $563 million was sought for the upgrade of infrastructure across several bases.