The government plans to inject another $73.2 billion to complete several pump stations and advance other critical drainage and irrigation canals and structures this year.
Guyanese will witness massive drainage works advancing in areas like Adams Creek, Region Two; Canefield, Region Six; Good Hope, and Mabaruma.
This is according to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh while presenting the 2025 fiscal package to the National Assembly on Friday.
Since returning to office, the PPP/C Government was able to commission new pump stations at Adventure, Region Six; Andrews and Cozier, Region Two and Greenwich Park, Region Three.
The government also procured and distributed 100 tractor-driven pumps and new machinery to ensure preventive maintenance across the region.
Work progressed on eight additional pump stations last year and a total of $44.3 billion was exhausted on these efforts.
Already, the government is working to establish hope-like canals in Regions Three, Five and Six.
These high-level drainage discharge systems are valued at some $23 billion and will completely revolutionise water management in these three regions.
The Region Five canal will improve water management for 214,000 acres of land.
The Region Six canal will benefit 188,000 acres of land and some 28,000 acres will also benefit in Region Three.
Dr Singh said a total of $3.4 billion was spent in 2024 to finance these particular projects and over $15 billion is budgeted in 2025 to advance the works.
Dr Singh said these interventions are necessary because the drainage and irrigation systems were abandoned during 2015 to 2020 when the APNU+AFC Coalition Government reigned.
“We have launched the most ambitious, upgraded expansion of our drainage and irrigation system since its original construction centuries ago,” the minister said.
A total of 104.6 billion is budgeted to further drive the entire agriculture sector in 2025.
