$771M estimated to rehabilitate 13 bridges

The Audit Office of (NRF)ortheoilaccount. from the NRF to the (Bank of Guyana) that is Guyana will be boosting its He said: “We are the consolidated fund, thereby overseeing the Natural capacity with a new eight- auditors for the Natural blendingthevariousrevenue Resource Fund. They would member body this year Resource Fund so all the streams. This was a sore have that responsibility to dedicated to conducting oil expenditurewhenthemoney concern for transparency say okay we are going to be andgasaudits. goes into the Natural activists but the Auditor building x, y and z. So, in supposed to get more and of Parliament (MP) Volda Auditor General (AG), Resource Fund and when it General (AG) clarified that other words, this Committee what is the procedure so Lawrence who followed up Deodat Sharma told this comes out there - like last the Investment Committee will say exactly how it was that’s the part that the World on an increase in wages for newspaperyesterdaythatthe year, it was US$607 million will be tasked with outlining spent. We would then check BankAuditors are doing. So the Audit Office that led to Committee is to be Budget support to the the projects funded by oil to verify whatever they say wehavetobuildourcapacity the disclosure by Minister of established by March. This government so we will have money He explained: “If that the money was used for also to understand what they Parliamentary Affairs and special committee will be t o a u d i t a l l t h o s e you look at the various that it went to the project are doing and eventually we Governance, Gail Teixeira. tasked with specific expenditures.” committees that they intended.” might take over that type of “I note the revised figure for functions according to the Sharma was asked to (government) set up, one of Secondly, the oil and gas auditalsointhefuture.” 2022 is some $819,562,000 AG. For instance, he noted elaborate on how the team the committees that I think committeewillbeupdatinga Sharma said that this as opposed to the 2023 that the Auditor General’s would be tracking this has been set up will report it conducted between team of auditors will be amount budgeted of Office will be fine-tuning spending since the People’s determine how the money 2019 and 2020 to assess carrying out similar $109,117,000. I am asking spendingbytheGovernment Progressive Party (PPP) will be spent, so you will Guyana’s preparedness to functions to the Oil and Gas whatwouldbetheadditional respond to an oil spill. He committee employed by the categories of employees I said this will be undertaken Guyana Revenue Authority assume would be added to so that the country can know (GRA).Hewaskeentopoint the Audit Office and could its present status in that out that his eight-member we know whether there is a regard. Thirdly, Sharma body already has engineers special department that is noted that the capacity of the ready to verify the money looking at oil and gas and eight –member team will be government expended from what are the different boosted so as to ensure that the NRF for infrastructure portfolios therein,” the A Guyanese are conducting and other projects. As it Partnership for National their own audits to verify its regard the updated report on Unity(APNU)MPenquired. share of profits from the Guyana’s preparedness for Teixeira pointed out that the offshoreoperations. an oil spill, he said that this reason for the increase was According to him, willtakesometime. two-fold. In addition to the “Remember they have The new committee was across-the-board eight contacted an auditor to audit announced on Monday percent salary increase, she out there what is happening during the consideration of referenced the new oil and intermsoftheoil…wedon’t Estimates for Budget 2023. gas committee for the Audit know if we should get It was Opposition Member Office. US$100 million or if we are

The Ministry of Public Works will be InRegionTwo,workswillbeexecutedat spending some $700 million to facilitate the the La Belle Alliance bridge- estimated at continued rehabilitation and construction of $80,500,000. In Region Three, works is anumberofbridgesinthecountry slated for the Belle Vue access bridge This is according to a public notice –estimated at $80,000,000, the bridge issued by the ministry inviting sealed bids linking Belle West Housing Scheme, Canal for the rehabilitation and construction of a No. 2 – estimated at $80,500,000, and the total of 13 bridges across the country The bridge linking Parfaite Housing Scheme, ministry’s budget, which is yet to pass in the CanalNo.1-estimatedat$80,500,000. National Assembly, would see the spending As for works in Region Five, the of $136 billion for bridges and roads across Waterloo/ Bath bridge will be fixed for an thecountry estimated cost of $33,500,000 while the

In the advertisement, the Ministry noted Blairmount Estate Turn, No. 2 is pegged at thatitintendstokick-startitsbridgeprojects $80,500,000 and Blairmount Estate Turn for the year with the rehabilitation and Bridge5isestimatedat$30,000,000. construction of bridges on the East Coast of Works in Region Six will be rolled at the Demerara, and in Regions Two, Three, Five ElizaMaryNo.78Villagebridge–estimated andSix. at$33,500,000andattheGlasglowHousing

The total sum of its engineers’estimates Schemebridge–estimatedat$30,000,000. would see these projects costing some It was reported that last year, the $771,500,000. government had built and maintained some

In terms of bridges located on the East 180bridgesalongthecoastandinhinterland Coast, the ministry plans to continue regions. Senior Minister of Finance, Dr rehabilitation/ construction works of the Ashni Singh had mentioned in this year’s Hope Estate Access bridge – estimated at budget presentation that some $27.8 billion $51,000,000, the Good Hope Bridge was spent on bridges in the country in 2022. extension- estimated at $77,500,000, Mon Bidding for these projects is set to open on Repos Pasture bridge – estimated at February 15, 2023 at the National $25,000,000, and the Enterprise/ Beirut Procurement and Tender Administration accessbridge–estimatedat$29,000,000. Board(NPTAB)office.

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