Dear Editor,
Recently, there have been quite a lot of road works going on throughout the country and for quite some time now I’ve been hearing complaints about the quality of work presented. It has reached the stage where the government has become very critical of the contractors and issuing threats of finding means to get back money from contractors who are doing flimsy work.
Throughout the years, questions keep surfacing about the cost to repair/build a road and despite criticisms, huge amounts of money keep getting paid for works that in most cases are flimsy. For money to pass for these shoddy works, without a doubt, many hands have to be greased. It is unconscionable for contractors alone to face the blame. An in-depth investigation should be carried out and the corrupt officials must also be made to pay for their corruption.
Editor, on Friday I was taken and shown a four-corner intersection in Zeelugt, which was completed on Thursday. More than one contractor did the four streets, and each street edge was done differently. Whilst the street thickness was supposed to be three inches, upon inspecting it you could see it did not exceed two inches. Each contractor’s speed humps are different and the two sides/edges of the street are different. In addition, whilst there, a Canter passed and the edge started to break away immediately. There is no doubt that there will be greater damage in days to come. Why is the government continuously paying huge sums of money for works that are not able to provide a proper service to commuters/residents?
Finally Editor, I made a video of the various works on Friday, including the damage, intending to upload it on the Ministry of Public Works website/social media page, but apparently, the authorities prefer posting what they want without giving you the privilege to show what happens. I tried attaching the files in this email, but they are too large. For clarification, I would be uploading them on my Facebook page. I will also be checking on how many government sites give you the option to upload videos/images on their Facebook page or if such a feature is blocked.
It’s no secret that Ministers in Guyana continuously post pictures of works being done, but they do not post the full story.
Sincerely,
Sahadeo Bates
