A Partnership for National Unity has highlighted the continuous decay and disintegration of the Stabroek Market landing where the Vreed-en-Hoop to Georgetown speed boats dock.
General Secretary of the coalition, Joseph Harmon held a press briefing at the landing yesterday to showcase the state of the facility, which he noted was common across Guyana.
Speaking to Stabroek News later in the day, Harmon noted that the Public Works Ministry had provided possible solutions in the form of floating landings in the 2014 budget, but no moves had been made to further this transition.
He said the Stabroek landing was one of the most utilised by citizens and it posed serious danger. Harmon stated that young professionals utilise the service on a daily basis and are left to negotiate their way around the rotting landing. He said the convenience factor, considering the number of persons who utilize water taxis was completely being ignored by the government with no tangible reasons given.
Harmon said that since the 2014 budget, the Public Works Ministry had noted that funds were available to commence the repair or installation of numerous floating landings, however almost a year later there has been no sign of any work.
He said public infrastructure needed to be addressed and money was available to assist with making people’s daily lives more convenient. Harmon stressed that quality of life in Guyana had to be a priority for the government.
During the press briefing Harmon said that since 2012 “government spending on public infrastructure was wrongly prioritized since we believed then as we do now that public infrastructure must serve human development.”
He posited that money needed to improve local infrastructure was instead siphoned off and used for large-scale projects that had and have no immediate or short-term benefit.
Harmon said that the conditions at the Charity, Supenaam, Parika, Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown facilities were continuously being ignored and funding to ensure the safety of people utilising the service was not made a priority by the ministry and by extension the government.
The party’s general secretary recalled that last year Public Works Minister Robeson Benn had said that resources from the Transport and Harbours Department would oversee the installation of floating landing areas.
Kick starting APNU’s general election campaign, Harmon promised that within 100 days of an APNU government money to construct and install floating ramps across the aforementioned stellings would be found.
