Over $5 billion has been allocated to the Housing, Water and Sanitation sectors this year, Minster of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh disclosed during his budget presentation speech to the National Assembly yesterday.
He said that in the housing sector, infrastructure for 3000 lots in housing schemes will be completed while 2000 low income and middle income house lots will be allocated and 2500 titles and transports will be processed.
Meanwhile, the starting of construction of a new sanitary landfill at Haags Bosch and extension works at the Mandela Avenue landfill has been catered for.
A projected expenditure of $1.5 billion to improve infrastructure for existing and new housing areas has been set with $850M being assigned to provide infrastructure in low income settlement schemes such as Westminister, Cummings Lodge and Sophia, among others and $420M being allotted to complete roads, drains and structures at Farm, Grove, Bath and Amelia’s Ward among others, in addition to the construction and paving of roads, water distribution network, electricity supply and drainage culverts at Tuschen and Baltyock.
The Central Housing and Planning Authority will undertake similar projects in such areas as Parfaite Harmonie, Onderneeming and other areas while two new wells will be drilled in Diamond/Grove and Parfaite Harmonie Housing Schemes to improve the supply to 12000 allottees, Dr. Singh said.
In the water sector, $3.7 billion has been allocated for the provision of potable water supply which includes the completion of two iron removal plants at Sophia and South Ruimveldt at a cost of $500M, and upgrade of transmission and distribution lines to benefit 50,000 persons which would cost $331M. Also included is the completion of a treatment plant at Number 56 village at a cost of $90M, and the design and commencement of three water treatment plants at Lima, Vergenoegen and Cotton
Tree at a cost of $1 billion. The Minister stated that $58M has been allocated to improve the water supply services to hinterland communities while, for the expansion and improvement of existing infrastructure to coastal locations and Linden which includes the replacement of boreholes, service connection upgrades and installation of transmission and distribution mains, $395M has been allotted.
For operationalising the new customer billing, information and metering systems, $236M has been allocated.
The Finance Minister, stating that the government has long been committed to raising the standards of sanitation in the capital city and communities in all the regions across the country, said $323M has been allocated to this sector.
This includes designing and the commencement of construction of a new sanitary landfill at Haags Bosch and the extension of works at the Mandela landfill site to accommodate waste up to 2009. Also included is the rehabilitation of the sewage receiving facility at Tucville and the sewer pump station in Central Georgetown in addition to the construction of four holding centres at Charity, Supenaam, Parika and Bartica as well as to conduct institutional strengthening and capacity building of neighbourhood democratic councils to manage solid waste.
