The People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Government continues to fuel perception it cannot be trusted. After much delay and wastage of taxpayers’ money on the Cemetery Road Expansion Project, Public Work Minister Juan Edghill on Saturday, August 10, 2024 promised the road will be “fully completed” on Monday, August 12, 2024. This completion of this project was slated to finish more than a year ago.
As at today Wednesday, August 14, 2024 vehicular traffic is not flowing through the bridge on the eastern carriageway. The truck above is seen today between Princess and Success Streets, around 1:30 p.m, doing work. The Bridge to the eastern carriageway is not opened to vehicular traffic.
The government again failed to deliver on another promise. Last Saturday the minister visited the project site where works are currently ongoing from Princess Street to Mandela Avenue.
DPI, the Government’s Information outlet reported the minister stating 96 per cent of the works had been completed with two bridges left to be cured after being recently cast with cement.
Government said the bridge embankment closer to Princess Street was being cast and was expected to be done by Saturday evening. The government, however reported, the bridge needed two more weeks of curing time before it could be asphalted to ensure uniformity.
The work executed over the past two weeks was being done by sub-contractors.
Devcon Construction Inc. did the culverts and was to have finished the pedestrian bridges. GDJ Logistics was supposed to have finished the removal of road obstacles and completed the paving works.
Final works were being done by Avinash Contracting Company, the main contractor awarded the project.
The government said due to difficulties faced by Avinash, the Ministry of Public Works Special Project Unit stepped in to render significant assistance to ensure the project met its final timeline. Despite government’s spite assistance and more financial burden to the taxpayers the project was not completed by the new deadline.
The list of of failed deliveries are numerous.The Cemetery Road Project is among other failures such as the 2020 Election campaign promise to renegotiate the oil contracts, the failure to complete Conversation Tree Road Project on the East Coast Demerara which now has an overrun cost of GY$13 million and a new contract awarded for completion to another contractor through sole sourcing. Daily, Guyanese live the failure of reliable electricity, water and other basic amenities in the oil and gas economy that is ranked the world’s fastest growing ,and richest per capita.
