The Aranaputa Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region Nine has been allocated approximately $160M for extensive infrastructural development projects this year. The announcement was made by Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, during a community meeting on Saturday last.
Minister Edghill used the engagement to urge local officials and residents to collaborate with the ministry’s engineers in identifying key areas for development using the allocated funds. Stressing the importance of timely action, he instructed that a contractor for the 2024 projects should be engaged by October, with the goal of completing the works before the return of the rainy season in January.
The minister also emphasized the need for economic integration into the development plans, highlighting the improvement of access roads to farmlands as a priority.
Addressing concerns from residents, Minister Edghill reassured the community that the incomplete road project, which was allocated $115M in 2023, would be expedited. He outlined immediate steps to ensure the project’s completion, including enforcing contract compliance and requiring the contractor to be fully mobilized on-site within two weeks. A local clerk of works will be appointed to oversee the project’s execution.
Minister Edghill reiterated the government’s broader commitment to infrastructural development, noting ongoing efforts to upgrade the entire road network from Linden to Lethem. He explained that the goal is not just to pave individual sections but to complete the entire route to support ecotourism and village development plans. A section of the project has already been awarded to a Brazilian contractor, with plans to extend the paving from Mabura Hill to Kurupukari, Annai, and ultimately to Lethem.
Additionally, the minister confirmed ongoing upgrades to the road connecting Karasabai and Monkey Mountain, enhancing links between Region Nine and Region Eight. Minister Edghill also used the visit to inspect ongoing works on the Pirara bridge, the final of 32 concrete bridges along the Kurupukari to Lethem corridor, and expressed confidence that the project would be completed by Christmas.
