Ministry of Communications and Works continues fact-finding constituency tours
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Contact: Julita Peter
Thursday, August 6, 2009 –The Ministry of Communications, Works, Transport and Public Utilities is continuing to embark on a series of high powered tours of all constituencies, following the culmination of the first phase of visits to the six constituencies represented by the Opposition. The team has since visited the constituencies of Babonneau and Gros-Islet respectively.
Communications and Works Minister, Honourable Guy Joseph said besides serving as a fact finding exercise, the tours are assisting his ministry in developing a work programme and also deciding on the areas requiring urgent attention.
During the Gros-Islet visit, Gros-Islet MP Honourable Lenard “Spider” Montoute, said the deteriorating road conditions are among the major areas of concern in his constituency. He spoke of an innovative programme to address the road-related problems in his constituency which involves using property taxes—a programme which he said will be rolled out soon.
“We are going to make use of property taxes from residents of the constituency with a view to using those resources towards securing loans for the upgrade of our roads and other infrastructural developments. I am hoping that before the end of my tenure as parliamentary representative, we would have addressed the critical areas, and that we would have upgraded the infrastructure to a level that is deserving of the people in my constituency,” Minister Montoute said.
The existing road conditions, according to the Communications and Works Minister, are a clear indication that the road maintenance programmes must be improved. Meantime, Minister Joseph applauded residents who are engaged in self-help efforts to improve the road conditions in their respective communities. The ministry, he noted, always embraces such interventions.
“We visited some areas where the residents themselves have decided to come together to raise some funds and to undertake some works, which we are going to do jointly with them by offering the necessary technical support. We have seen a lot of areas Cas-En-Bas for example, where the residents of the community are really trying to help out themselves on some of the roads, but is it beyond them and we are hoping that as government, we can step in and do what is necessary to bring a measure of relief that the residents expect,” he said.
The minister believes that this kind of public/private sector partnership is necessary, especially when operating within budgetary constraints. The team will continue to embark on the fact- finding constituency tours until all seventeen constituencies are covered. He says residents could look forward to seeing real results from the tours in the near future. |
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