The Alliance for Change [AFC] has said that the Irfaan Ali administration’s alleged transformation of Region 9 is elusive based on its observations during an outreach the party conducted in Region where it met with residents, friends, and members of the communities.
During the outreach, conducted between January 3–6, 2024, the AFC said that the numerous projects were mired in delays and will almost certainly miss their deadlines if they have not already.
Among the delayed projects observed was the construction of a bridge between St. Ignatius to the Deep South [connecting Lethem], the construction of the Pirara Bridge linking north and southern Pakarimas [which has been delayed for more than eight months], and the AFC said that it would be a miracle if the temporary bridge at Karasabai lasts much longer. As the rainy season approaches, the AFC says the region’s residents are “exceedingly concerned about this stalled project”. Construction of the Karasabai Secondary School, the AFC says, has also been halted.
The AFC’s release also said that there is a shortage of cassava leading to a scarcity of farine, a staple food for the indigenous population. Consequently, the AFC says the cost of the limited availability of farine has increased. The Moco Moco cassava factory in South Central Rupununi, according to the AFC, which was designed and constructed between 2016 and 2017 to facilitate the storage of farine, and its surpluses to be sold by regional markets, has come to a halt, the factory’s doors are closed, the new machinery is idle, and the project as a whole has been abandoned without justification.
The ICT hubs in Tiger Pond and Karasabai have halted. The party further claimed that pensioners in areas such as Karasabai may have to wait up to three months to receive their benefits or pay a return fee of $6,000 (out of a $33,000 pension) in order to travel to Lethem and obtain their benefits. Other observations the party says includes denial of meals to patients at a Rupununi hospital on the grounds that they reside in the vicinity of the facility and renting of furniture by the St. Ignatius school.
The party says even when certain projects are carried out, they significantly deviate from agreed-upon specifications and project design. Furthermore, the AFC says it has been informed of a number of conflicts of interest pertaining to the contract award process at the municipal and regional levels, where the distinction between officials and contractors is often indistinct. A comprehensive audit of this region is demanded, the release noted.
