Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced that a National Road Rehabilitation Programme is being established in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to fix the bad roads in the country.
The poor state of roads in several parts of the country has sparked protests from citizens demanding immediate corrective action.
Finance Minister Winston Dookeran had been given the responsibility to oversee the audit. At a news conference late last year he said at that time he had found nothing that could be considered cause for concern.
She added that it could be funded with money from new oil and gas finds will.She also added that the Programme for Upgrading Road Efficiency (PURE) would become operational again under the guidance of Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner.
Persad-Bissessar made statements Monday after meeting with residents of Lachoos Road, Penal, who staged a protest over bad roads in her constituency.
PURE was suspended last year pending an audit. The Prime MInister said new rules governing PURE will ensure that there will be more intense scrutiny of the tendering process for contracts under PURE.
The poor state of roads in several parts of the country has sparked protests from citizens demanding immediate corrective action.
Warner had said publicly that one of the reasons for his inability to attend to the road repair programme was because PURE was suspended.
Finance Minister Winston Dookeran had been given the responsibility to oversee the audit. At a news conference late last year he said at that time he had found nothing that could be considered cause for concern.
"There is nothing at this point to warrant concern in my point of view; when we put the systems in place, and I think largely it's a question of systems, I think it will be a much smoother process that will be effected," Dookeran told reporters onDecember 29, 2011.
While PURE will be back, Persad-Bissessar is handing some responsibility for road works to local government. She said that arm of government will have to deal with secondary roads.
Persad-Bissessar noted that a tremendous amount of work hass been done on repairing roads and infrastructure but stated that it takes time to get everything done. "We can't fix everything on the same day at the same time," she told reporters.
With respect to the National Road Rehabilitation Programme, she said he will take a proposal to cabinet on Thursday for the project, which will focus on a more intensive attention to the road network in the country.
While PURE will be back, Persad-Bissessar is handing some responsibility for road works to local government. She said that arm of government will have to deal with secondary roads.
Persad-Bissessar noted that a tremendous amount of work hass been done on repairing roads and infrastructure but stated that it takes time to get everything done. "We can't fix everything on the same day at the same time," she told reporters.
With respect to the National Road Rehabilitation Programme, she said he will take a proposal to cabinet on Thursday for the project, which will focus on a more intensive attention to the road network in the country.
"We have inherited a really bad road network, and it will take us time to fix all the roads. But certainly, if we have an accelerated road rehabilitation programme, we may be able to get more done," she said.
Persad-Bissessar said there will no longer sole selective tendering for PURE contracts. She said the process will go through procurement regulations recommended by the Ministry of Finance.
Persad-Bissessar said there will no longer sole selective tendering for PURE contracts. She said the process will go through procurement regulations recommended by the Ministry of Finance.
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