Almost $1.3 billion was spent on the housing and water sectors during the first half of the year, according to the Finance Ministry’s mid-year report.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the report said government spent $881.8 million on the housing sector, including capital expenditure of $836.4 million and current expenditure of $45.4 million.
It noted that infrastructural works continued in housing schemes, which included Lust-en-Rust, Zeelugt, Windsor Forest, Providence, Farm, Dia-mond, Eccles, Enmore, Sophia and Cumberland.
It also reported the completion of the access road in Section ‘D’ Sophia, and the upgrade of the electrical distribution network in Recht-door-Zee and Amelia’s Ward.
In addition, it said 1,514 land titles were processed, and 1,908 titles were distributed, during the first half of the year.
GINA added that in the second half of this year, the report forecasts the completion of 100 turn-key homes, the allocation of 200 new house lots at Perseverance, the distribution of 900 land titles and the processing of 500 land titles.
Meanwhile, GINA said the Report pegged government spending on continued capital works in the water sector at $418 million during the first six months of the year.
Among the projects undertaken during this period were the continued construction of the Linden and Wisroc water treatment facilities and reservoirs.
Further, it said the procurement process was advanced for the construction of water treatment plants and facilities at Sheet Anchor in Region Six, Diamond in Region Four, and Uitvlugt in Region Three.
It added that efforts to improve treated water coverage, increase metered coverage, reduce non-revenue water, and increase coverage of new customers, have seen designs for the drilling of wells, installation of mains, and new services being completed, to benefit more than 50,000 people countrywide.
In the second half of the year, similar projects are scheduled to begin in areas including Hill Foot, Timehri; Esau and Jacob, Wakenaam; Williamsburg, and Numbers 66 to 69 Villages, the report stated. In particular, it said water metres will be procured and installed, with the aim of reducing non-revenue water.
