Gov’t invests $21B in infrastructure as East Coast transformation takes off

The government has invested some $10.9 billion in infrastructure development along the East Coast of Demerara, with an additional $10.1 billion earmarked for this year.

This was revealed by Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, during a house lot allocation exercise at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal on Monday.

Minister Rodrigues said the investment of $21 billion in infrastructure projects, will lead to massive development along the east coast corridor, mirroring what is happening on the East Bank of Demerara.

“That will see road networks, culverts, bridges, the water distribution network on the electrical network. So, you can imagine the scale of investment,” she emphasised.

The minister highlighted the significant impact that such an investment would have on the local economy, such as job creation.

She stated that this is the holistic objective of the government’s national housing programme.

“We are able to achieve many things in the government through this housing programme alone…creating thousands of jobs through the construction sector and allowing the construction sector to grow tremendously through investments in the housing programme.”

This year, infrastructure works are scheduled for areas including De-Engrat, La Ressouvenir, Success, and Good Hope. This will enable hundreds of individuals who have been allocated lands in these areas to gain access to their house lots. In terms of the ministry’s turn-key housing programme, the first batch of young professional homes will be constructed at La Bonne Intention (LBI).