President Irfaan Ali yesterday promised the release of a further $100 million for works on the Upper East Bank Berbice main access road at in Mara committed, which has been in a deplorable state for a number of years.
Speaking to residents at a community meeting at Mara, Ali said the $100 million, which will be made available immediately, would cover about 6 kilometres of the road. At separate community meetings in Chesney and Port Mourant, Corentyne yesterday, Ali also committed $30 million each of those communities for the development of streets.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who was part of the president’s delegation at the meeting, confirmed that machinery was being mobilised in the area to commence the Mara works.
Ali said that after that project is completed a further assessment will be done on what is needed as he noted that while the road cannot be justified from a financial standpoint, it can be based on the potential which exists on both sides.
During the meeting at Mara, Ali became visibly upset and upbraided a private contractor and engineer from the Ministry of Public Works.
According to information gathered, the contractor, Rafeek Kassim, of Kascom Engineering and another contractor from Shaffeeullah Sawmill, secured contracts for repair works on various sections of the Upper East Bank Berbice road. The road is said to be in such a deplorable state that it currently takes residents close to two hours to travel to New Amsterdam.
However, one resident reported that works were only recently started on the road, with one contractor working three days during the week.
Kassim, who was present at the location, was called to the front of the meeting after residents reported to President Ali that work had been proceeding at a “go-slow” speed.
Ali asked for the contractor so as to clarify the reports. However, after a silent Kassim failed to provide the necessary information Ali said that if he does not complete the project on December 29, the due date, then action will be taken. “And if you don’t work day and night and finish this road, you will not see another project,” a seemingly upset Ali declared, telling Kassim that he “eye pass the community.”
Ali told the residents, that government is making investments and the contractors must be held accountable to get the work done. He questioned whether the contractors did not expect him to visit the village due to where it is situated and were thus going at their own pace.
According to the residents, Ali is the third president to ever visit the community as prior to him only former presidents Cheddi Jagan and Bharrat Jagdeo had visited.
In April, 2021, Kassim, who was tasked with executing emergency works on the main access road in Black Bush Polder, was scolded by Ali during a visit to that community after it was reported to him that the contractor was allegedly selling the dirt removed from the road. However, Kassim had claimed that he was unaware of such and it could have been his workman, which prompted Ali to upbraid him for not properly monitoring his projects.
Indar and his engineer also came under fire at the meeting yesterday after it was discovered that the engineer responsible for monitoring the project resides in Georgetown. Ali ordered that the engineer be provided accommodation and stay within the region to monitor the project until its completion after he chastised Indar for not ensuring better monitoring is done.
A Civil Defence Commission (CDC) engineer was also admonished for promising tubes to residents within the community. According to the residents, after they reported that there was flooding in some agriculture and other areas he promised tubes some months ago to deal with the situation.
However, it was discovered that there was no budget or permission in place for the engineer to make the promise. When questioned by Ali, the engineer claimed that he was making efforts to get the tubes but Ali told him since he failed and had already made the promise without contacting his supervisors to confirm he could, the residents blamed the government, which was unaware about the promise.
Ali then said that the 18 tubes will be purchased by the end of the year and ordered Minister with responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, who was also present, to release the funds for the project so as to have it implemented at the earliest.
However, Ali then declared to the gathering that the next time someone makes a promise to the residents without the resources being available, then that person’s salary will be used to finance the project. “They are not going to embarrass the government,” he declared.
Regional Chairman David Armogan, Regional Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain and Regional Executive Officer Narindra Persaud were all chastised by Ali about the need to better monitor projects being executed within the region.
EBB Master Plan
Ali yesterday also announced that a team, led by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, will return to the Upper East Bank Berbice area before the end of the year to create a “master plan” as the government pushes ahead to build an aquaculture industry, improve the swamp shrimp production, and build a strong dairy production industry.
Pointing out that government had already commenced supporting some shrimp farmers on the Corentyne with investments in the necessary infrastructure, Ali said, the visiting team will “sit down with all the farmers who own lands and we are going to situate the lands as to where they are.”
He stressed that once persons have lands and are willing to come on board with the shrimp project, “we are going to help you to build the dams, put equipment, and bring you into the swamp shrimp project” as he noted that there is a “natural market in the diaspora.”
He said that persons with agricultural lands can also come on board as they will also discuss the work needed to convert their lands.
Ali spoke of the need to rebuild the dairy industry, especially with an expected investment of US$50 million at Enmore by an international company to look at the production of milk, yogurt and other products.
According to him, an important part of the project requires “government stimulation” to rebuild the industry “because they are talking about tens of thousands of liters of milk so in the new budget we will address this because we have to bring together enough farmers on the 5,000 acres’ development to produce the milk.”
He added that investment in the special breeds of cows that have a high capacity for milk production must and will be done.
According to him, persons with lands in the area can also come on board for the cattle project, as he urged the residents to work along with the team that will visit the community.
“They will come in and sit down with the farmers and we will come up with a master plan… And we will lay out that master plan as to how we are going to unfold the agriculture development in this area,” he stressed.
Ali then assured the residents gathered that once the plan is created, then the government will give the necessary support.
Meaningful change
Meanwhile, farmers in Mara also pleaded with the president to look at extending the time wholesalers from the area are allowed sell their produce at the New Amsterdam Market, since they only leave the community to head to the market to sell once a week.
According to the farmers, they sell up to 7 am one day weekly as is stipulated by the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council and since their customers are aware that they can’t sell later then they hustle them for the produce at a low price, often leaving them with a loss.
Ali asked the regional officials to look for an appropriate place where the farmers can sell their produce once a week with extended selling hours, pointing out, that it could even be a tarmac at a government building.
Seizing the opportunity to ask the residents to vote for his party to govern the township, Ali said, “Then we can start making proper decisions… I am tired and sick of the nonsense that is going on there.”
He told the residents that unless there is a “meaningful change” then “we will continue to suffer.”
