Infrastructure projects budget cuts highlighted as President addresses professional engineers
The slashing of budgetary allocations to key infrastructure projects by the combined parliamentary opposition could not be ignored as President Donald Ramotar addressed the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE) about the importance of improving Guyana’s physical infrastructure.
While addressing stakeholders gathered at the Georgetown Club for GAPE’s 45th anniversary dinner, President Ramotar spoke of the “heart-wrenching” experience in the recent Parliamentary sittings when engineering projects with tremendous potential, were cut.
The country’s largest budget in history of $208.8B was reduced to $177.5B when $31.3B cuts were inflicted after the opposition rejected funding for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Specialty Hospital, and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Modernisation Project among others.
President Donald Ramotar addressing attendees at the 45th anniversary of the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE)
The hydropower that had a prime objective to reduce the cost of electricity in Guyana was denied budgetary allocation on the grounds that it is still pending financial closure by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). About $20B was budgeted for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) under which the Amaila falls was catered. The sum of $19B was slashed under the LCDS.
“There is no logic in cutting something like the Amaila Falls Hydro project which can provide cheap energy… one of the factors that limit our development is the question of cheap energy, and here we are trying to have cheap energy and we see it being butchered in the National Assembly,” President Ramotar said.
The entire $5.6B allocated to the transport sector that included rehabilitation of hinterland and coastal airstrips, the purchase and installation of aviation equipment and the Ogle Airport expansion project were slashed from the national budget.
President Donald Ramotar in talks with veteran engineer Philip Allsopp (second from left), in the presence of incumbent Guyana Association of Professional Engineers (GAPE) President Joseph Holder (left) and former President Joel Trotman (right)
Scheduled for construction this year, the CJIA project had intended to boost the country’s capacity to accommodate larger categories of aircraft, and thereby build its tourism potential from the increased number of flights anticipated.
With China Harbour Engineering Company (CJIA) promising to build quality projects and the Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) building the Marriott Hotel, Guyana has begun to see a certain standard in construction.
Engineering, which President Ramotar said, has contributed one- tenth to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is a good profession to be involved as the Government seeks to build the nation.
“We remain confident that this sector will continue to grow, providing jobs and security for thousands of Guyanese… social and economic development will not be possible without the importance of infrastructural works,” President Ramotar said.
Still concerned however, about immeasurable delays, overruns and variations in contracts, President Ramotar reminded the engineers gathered about the importance of delivering value for money that taxpayers demand.
He said the Government in its bid to “put the public’s interest first” will be moving to revise the current Engineering Act with input from GAPE.
