$20B and counting…
-Jagdeo says

VICE-PRESIDENT (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government will continue to make significant investments in the city to ensure that it continues to develop.

The VP made this remark during his weekly press conference as he spoke about the investments that central government has and continues to make all across Georgetown, which falls under the purview of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

Against this backdrop, he disclosed that the Ministry of Public Works has spent nearly $15 billion in the city, directly on roads and in other infrastructure projects.

“You’re seeing this everywhere; upgrading the city. So you can’t say we’re starving the city [that] we are taking over, beautifying the city [by] planting trees,” Dr Jagdeo said.

He highlighted that the council is not doing any of the work along the seawall or along the railway embankment among many other areas where projects are ongoing.

Jagdeo went on to add, “We’re spending another $500 million on doing all the grounds in the city including putting in lights in the city so there’s no issue about starving of funds. We’re spending a lot of money investing in the city.”

Further to this, he disclosed that the government is also investing over one billion in drainage and irrigation and internal works to add greater pumping capacity to assist with flooding in the city.

“We have spent over 20 billion in the city and it’s counting all the time. We were in Sophia recently to fix all the roads in Sophia. We’re starting to fix the roads there; we’re doing it everywhere you go in the city,” the Vice President added.
Meanwhile, the Vice President reiterated that the City Council continues to neglect its duties in relation to the upkeep of the city and he emphasised that this can be said without fear of contradiction.

He noted that this can be fortified by their track record and the long period that the APNU has had control over the city.

Additionally, he indicated that progress and major changes seen in the city over those periods can be traced back to the central government in the periods when the PPP/C was in office.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council have been under fire recently for not executing its key responsibilities of beautifying green spaces and maintaining the city’s infrastructure.

Just last week, the Vice President noted that the collapse of a portion of the roof covering the Stabroek Market Wharf was a result of the failure of the City Council.