Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 23/Oct 18:38

Works Minister upbeat on infrastructure progress

WORKS and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John arrived at Parliament on October 23 with her trademark upbeat energy and polished style, fielding questions on the progress of national projects, her ministry’s budget priorities and the state of the country’s infrastructure. Speaking with the media on October 23, John was asked about the ongoing Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway Widening Project, following her ministry’s budget allocation of $2.15 billion. With a smile, she said, "Work has not stopped. Work has been ongoing. We didn’t stop any project. If any project came to a halt, it’s because the contractor stopped it, not because the ministry gave any such instruction." According to a September 9 update on the ministry’s website, steady progress continues on the Chaguanas to Chase Village segment of the project, which is now 83 per cent completed. The update describes the widening initiative as one designed to "deliver safer, smoother and more efficient commutes for the thousands of motorists and road users who rely on this roadway daily." Asked what's next on the horizon, John offered only a hint. "The Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, will be rolling out some major infrastructure projects next week," she said, declining to give details. "Let’s just say it’s something big." John said the forthcoming initiatives will form part of "the kind of infrastructure that propels the country forward." For now, however, her immediate focus remains on remedial works: fixing roads, clearing drains, and, as she says, restoring order. "I’ve said before that I want to get this country clean, tidy and organised, maybe even for the first time," she emphasised. "We have to set the tone that anything cannot go on. Potholes, broken barriers, unmarked roads, we have to deal with them." John said her ministry is also building connector roads to link rural communities, adding, "They deserve attention too." She said the ministry is managing 94 active projects, about 70 per cent of which are overdue, some by nearly 2,000 days, or six years. Calling the delays unacceptable, John said a project that should have finished in 2022 is still ongoing and stressed every delay adds costs. "Extensions of time, higher material prices, legal fees. We have to bring these projects to proper completion. That’s part of the problem we’re fixing." Asked about potential political pushback, the minister brushed off speculation about opposition scrutiny. John said she did not know what was going on in the "Opposition’s head", arguing, "They do not seem to have a strategy. "They questioned Minister Mohit for five hours on Tuesday and Minister Ameen for four, then spent just ten minutes on sports and half an hour on education. That kind of imbalance can’t work." Vandana Mohit is the Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services. Khadijah Ameen is Minister of Rural Development and Local Government. The post Works Minister upbeat on infrastructure progress appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.