Key achievements in first half of 2012

Key achievements in first half of 2012

Georgetown, GINA, September 1, 2012 -- Source - GINA

The following are the highlights of the Mid Year Report of 2012 as provided by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.

The domestic economy achieved real growth of 2.8 percent, with non-sugar gross domestic product expanding by 6.2 percent. Overall growth for the year is now projected at 3.8 percent and non-sugar growth at 3.9 percent.
Total export earnings grew by 9.2 percent to US$592.1 million
Gold production grew by 13.2 percent to 184,929 ounces and export earnings amounted to US$268 million, an increase of 16.8 percent over the corresponding period in 2011.
The bauxite sector grew by 41.9 percent and export earnings amounted to US$79.4 million, an increase of 21.8 percent over the corresponding period in 2011.
Rice production expanded by 1.4 percent to 210,395 tonnes and export earnings amounted to US$84.6 million.
Fisheries industry expanded by 13.8 percent.
Interest rates trended downwards and inflation remained within acceptable norms at 1.8 percent in the first half of 2012.
Private Sector Credit expanded by 8 percent to $145.3 billion.
Foreign Direct investment amounted to US$167.2 million in the first half of 2012

Sector Highlights

Education

$10.2 billion was expended on the education sector.
National School Feeding Programme benefited over 46,000 students.
Hinterland School Feeding Programme benefited more than 16,000 children in Region 1, 7, 8 and 9.
National School Uniform Assistance Programme provided for the distribution of 165,000 vouchers throughout coastal regions; while over 29,000 hinterland students will benefit from the distribution of school uniforms.
In the area of ICT, 46 training courses were completed in the regions and 1,150 teachers were trained.

Health

$6.4 billion was expended on the Health sector in the first half of 2012.
Medical outreaches were carried out in the Lethem, Mabaruma and Bartica areas to the benefit of over 500 persons.
Masters in Obstetrics and Gynecology was launched in the first half of 2012, with the enrollment of six candidates and eleven medical support staff were trained in neonatal intensive care.
Over 21,000 mothers and children benefited from the distribution of nutritional supplements for children (infant sprinkles) and antenatal supplements.

Housing

$1.2 billion was expended on the Housing Sector in the first half of the year.
1,154 house lots were distributed and 1,701 titles were processed in the first half of the year.
58 core homes were constructed and distributed.
Under the Second Low Income Settlements Programme, 148 professional drawn from the Teachers’ Union, the Nurses Association and the Police Association were pre-qualified and referred to banks for fast track access to loans for home construction.
79 families benefited from the distribution of subsidies on the coastland, while 2 Amerindian families benefited from full house and roof improvement subsidies and another 72 families have qualified for full house and roof subsidies in Whitewater and Manawarin.
7 Community development projects have been completed in areas such as Area B Lusignan, Parcel One Non Pariel, Bell West and Tuschen.

Water

$419.2 million was expended on the water sector during the first half of the year.
Upgrades to the Water Supply in West Watooka and Christianburg are 95 percent complete.
Upgrades to the Rose Hall and Fellowship / Pouderoyen Water treatment plant systems will be completed in the second half of the year.
Contracts were awarded to install 10 photovoltaic systems, upgrade 5 existing water supply systems and construct medium depth boreholes in hinterland communities.

Agriculture

Under the Agriculture Export Diversification Programme, 18 farmers received disbursements to finance their business plans and another 34 farmers will receive their disbursements by the end of the year.
Rehabilitation of the breeding station and the construction of an artificial insemination laboratory and genetic bank at Mon Repos and quarantine station at St. Ignatius are substantially advanced and will become operational by the last quarter of 2012
The quarantine station at Mabura is completed and is expected to be operational in the second half of the year.
Over 60 farmers and agro processors received on-the-job training to better their farming practices.
Over 30 veterinary officers and extension assistants and farmers were trained to facilitate the prevention of foreign animal diseases, the establishment of an epidemiology unit and compliance with basic quality requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards and the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Drainage and Irrigation

4 of the 10.3 kilometres of the Northern Relief Channel were completed.
Two pontoons and eight super-long reach excavators will be acquired later this year while six mobile pumps will be supplied in the third quarter and deployed across the country to service the national drainage and irrigation system.

Infrastructure

$2.5 billion was spent on roads and $255 million on bridges in the first half of the year.
$370 million was expended in the first half of the year for the asphalting of 16 kilometres of all-weather roads in the Black Bush Polder, East and West Canje to improve access to over 18,500 acres of agricultural land.
$525 million was spent on preparatory works to accommodate the expansion of the four lane access road to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the extension of the four lane highway from Providence to Diamond and the widening of the highway from Better Hope to Golden Grove.
$1.5 billion was expended on the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of urban, rural, community and hinterland roads in all the Regions.
$451 million was spent on the construction and rehabilitation of access roads from Mabura Hill Road to Amaila Falls.
$228 million was spent for the commencement of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 20 critical structures from Belladrum to Rosignol.
$270 million will be expended for the rehabilitation of pontoons and cluster piles supporting the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Work to accommodate the operations of the two roll on roll off ferries progressed on Parika and Supenaam stellings and it is anticipated that following test runs in August, operations will commence in September of this year.
$950 million was spent for the rehabilitation and leveling of earthen embankments of our sea and river defences in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Electricity

GPL continued to implement its loss reduction plan including replacing 3,718 meters with prepaid meters and metering 3,794 new service connection with Itron meters.
$349 million was spent to facilitate the implementation of the GPL Infrastructure Development Project where 1.8 kilometres of submarine cable was laid linking Kingston and Vreed-en-Hoop as well as preparatory work on the substation at Kingston, Vreed-en-Hoop and Edinburg.
Over 6,600 solar panels were distributed under the Hinterland Electrification Programme.

Information and Communication Technology

To date, 560 kilometres of fiber optic cable has been deployed from Lethem to Georgetown.
At end June 2012, approximately 11,149 laptops have been distributed around the country including 2,438 during the first half of this year.

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