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The Government has announced that twenty-five (25) contractors from Buxton, East Coast Demerara, were awarded contracts to rehabilitate 25 bridges in the community at a total value of $56 million. Whether the sum is adequate to build long lasting bridges, including facilitating the traffic of various types of vehicles, was not stated. The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Buxton Neighbourhood Democratic.
On 4th July, Prime Minister Mark Philipps led an eight-member ministerial team to the village and made a slew of promises, including facilitating the villagers’ demand for economic self-empowerment.
At the meeting, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond told villagers their request will not be ignored and government officials will return the following week to conduct workshop.
According to her, “We bring in GRA, NIS officials, we bring in the Deeds and Commercial Registry because they are the ones responsible for registering your business, and all of that we will help facilitate and hold your hands and make sure that you get it. So, you don’t have to worry about getting all of that done, we will come and help you with that.”
Two weeks later, the government was a no-show, despite Buxtonians turning up two separate days for the meetings. The government’s failure to keep its promise was reported in this paper. See story “Government didn’t keep its promise to Buxtonians, Hinds not surprised” (July 18). One week after Village Voice’s story, Minister Walrond led a team to the village.
On 4th July villagers were also promised the delivery of a tractor in 30 minutes. The government failed to deliver on that promise.
Minister of Public Works, Mr. Juan Edghill, at the signing ceremony on Wednesday acknowledged, “This intervention should not be taken lightly. You spoke, we heard, we responded.” He further said the government expects with the award of the bridge contracts the workforce will be from Buxton, that is, “employment for young men and women during the period of [the] project.”
The Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), has repeatedly complained that regional and local government authorities declared for them by the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) are being economically disadvantaged in budgetary allocation and infrastructural development.
Buxtonian Kidackie Amsterdam, host of the online ‘Buxton Morning Time,’ has been using his camera to show the comparative difference of roads, bridges and other infrastructural networks in Opposition villages compared to the villages where supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic dominate. The comparison is stark, showing preferential development treatment in the government strongholds.
Amsterdam’s videos have attracted attention from Guyanese, home and in the diaspora, and condemnation for the disparity in treatment.
Last July President Irfaan Ali led a delegation to the United States (U.S) at the invitation of President Joe Biden administration. Ali met Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris. Both Blinken and Harris urged him to adopt a governing policy consistent with transparency, inclusive democracy and shared prosperity for all Guyanese. Guyana’s revenue, this year, from the sale of oil is projected to be US$1 billion.
Prominent members in society have contended the President was not invited but summoned to the U.S. Buxtonian, political activist and host of the online ‘Politics101’ programme, Dr. David Hinds, is one such person.
According to him, whilst the Government’s focus was slanted and misdirected, quite misunderstanding when the U.S is talking about food security and the environment it is a tactic to talk about the importance of issues like governance, wealth distribution and corruption. The focus of the Americans, said Hinds, was to “in effect summoned the Ali government to tell them they must stop the damn nonsense.”
