As half the population live in poverty, Gov’t allocates $1Billion to build office complex

Amid the burgeoning wealth there is burgeoning poverty. The World Bank Report says 48 per cent live on less than G$1200 (US$ 5.50) a day, which is among the highest in the Latin American Caribbean Region. The year Guyana expects to receive some US$2.1 billion from oil exports and US$320 million from royalties this year as crude production continues to rise, an increase from the US$1.62 billion earned last year.

In the humongous 1.146 trillion-dollar 2024 Budget nothing significant has been allocated to alleviate poverty, but government made sure to allocate $1 billion dollar to build an office complex for itself at the new Eccles/Haags Bosch roundabout, East Bank. The sum to construct the building was approved Friday by the Parliamentary Committee of Supply.

The allocation forms part of the Ministry of Public Works’ overall budget sum of $236B.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill detailed that the complex will feature four towers, 12 stories high with the capacity to accommodate 6,000 staff and other amenities.

The facility aims to increase efficiency by consolidating these government agencies into one location, thereby improving the delivery of services.

Responding to questions from members of the Opposition, the minister revealed that after much deliberation the government decided to change the site location from Eccles/ Mandela and the initial acreage of land from 10 to 20 acres to reduce traffic congestion and increase accessibility.

He said, “So…we would’ve had to ask the contractor after he would’ve signed his contract and was in the mobilisation stage to wait with us until we could’ve gotten that sorted out and his procurement process and so would’ve already kicked in so we were in a holding pattern”.

According to the minister, the land has now been identified and the signboard is already up.

“We are advancing with this project now. We apologize to the nation and the house for the delays but the delays are for the good for all of us because we want to ensure that what we are doing is to bring relief and not bring in struggle,” he advised.

Meanwhile, the minister revealed that the overall project sum is over $15B, noting that the ministry spent a sum of over $2B for the project’s mobilisation advance to contractor Caribbean Green Building Inc., in 2022.

“Which is in keeping with the standard bidding document and percentages to be paid,” said Minister Edghill.

In 2023, the allocation of $4B was requested by the contractor for supplies and materials.

Life is so good for the government the minister revealed, “We had to ask the contractor to stop bringing supplies and materials because it’s a pre-fabricated structure that will be going up. At this particular stage we are coming to the house in 2024 only for an additional billion dollars and the reason why we are coming only for a billion dollars is because we recognise that because of the delay, there is work that has to be done to catch up before we even come for more sums.”  

The minister’s boast is a stark reminder of Opposition Member of Parliament Ricky Ramsaroop statement during the Budget debate, that the government is ignoring the needs and well-being of the ordinary people. In flaying the government, Ramsaroop drew attention to the facts:

1. “A meager 10 percent for the lower 1/3, while almost twice that amount is going towards roads alone for families, friends, and favorites [of the PPP].
2. “The PPP’s priorities are starkly upside down to what the people want. Ask the people; they will choose food over roads, water over roads, healthcare over roads, and education over roads.”

Maybe, he sarcastically said, the PPP has come up with a with a new invention to make roads edible.

The ministry has acquired Vikab Guyana Limited, a local consultancy firm to supervise the construction of this major project.