NDC Heartbeat: Our crumbling infrastructure

In September 2011, the NDC administration secured the single largest ever project approval from the World Bank.

Signed by Nazim Burke, then Finance Minister, on behalf of the Government of Grenada, some of the funds secured were applied to refurbish The Lance and Hubble Bridges, the Holy Cross RC and St Patrick’s Anglican Primary Schools, the Cadorna and Hills View Homes for the elderly, the rock fall mitigation at Sendall Tunnel and River Road.

All these projects were implemented between 2013 and 2017 by the current administration and they try at every turn to take credit for them.

There has been no other government initiated infrastructural projects implemented, since these. That is despite the constant boasts of economic growth and surpluses. Instead, our infrastructure continues to crumble while our government remains hapless. The Ministry of Works, presided over by reckless Bowen, has all but collapsed.

The nation’s roads are the worst they have been in a very long time. Road maintenance is done in a scatter shot manner, with no planning. Contracts are given out on a mainly partisan basis rather than on knowledge and competence. This results in maintenance work having to be done repeatedly in the same areas at great cost to the Grenadian taxpayer. Potholes and plunge pools wreak havoc on people’s vehicles costing them thousands of dollars. Yet, the people are made to pay the highest petrol tax in the Caribbean

A drive around the country, especially along the west coast and certain parts of the eastern main road reveals the general neglect of our roadways, including the absence of protective guard rails in some areas. The state of the drains in and around the Town of St George is deplorable. The flood mitigation project in River Road for which the NDC administration had already secured financing, has not been implemented. The Grand Anse main road and the True Road to St George’s University require urgent repair. The NDC calls on government to recognise that these main thoroughfares are major contributors to our economy so that their maintenance must be given priority.

Even our main government buildings and structures continue to deteriorate and some are already simply derelict. Insufficient attention is given to our heritage buildings. Many, including our former Governor General’s residence, Houses of Parliament, High Court, Public Library and former residence of Maurice Bishop have not been touched since Hurricane Ivan. What kind of government will not attend to its heritage buildings?

Our young children do not have a public library and our people do not have courts. How then can those in office continue to say that care about us?

The NDC in its last term had plans already in motion for the refurbishment and commissioning of the public library. Also, part of the project for the area where the parliament building now stands, included the construction of a Hall of Justice. Most of the work was already done, including the selection of the location and the architectural drawings. Based on the lack of movement with this urgently needed building, we are only too thankful that in office we were able to do all the necessary preliminary work for the parliament building, including securing the funding and selecting the contractor, before we demitted office in 2013. Had we not taken it to the point of no return, we are certain that this project would not have been implemented.

Our hospitals are in poor physical state. Construction of the new wing at the General Hospital is never ending. The truth is that that structure was built against World Health Organisation advice. The outside was plastered and painted as part of an election gimmick in 2018, but the inside is an empty unfinished shell. Mitchell and Bowen cannot raise the funds to complete the project.

Since May 2018, the Judiciary, one of the three equal arms of government has been crippled. The courts have nowhere to sit. The judges, court staff and lawyers are forced to dispense justice in the most unsatisfactory, uncomfortable and deplorable conditions. Some judges have not been able to sit at all. We now understand that work has stopped altogether on the CLICO building on Young Street, where government promised to accommodate the courts from September. We wonder if this has anything to do with the recent reports of cash flow problems at the treasury.

The National Stadium continues to deteriorate and much needed maintenance work is not being done. Many of our schools continue to fall into disrepair and in some, like the GBSS, destroyed furniture have not been replaced.

All of this shows that we have incompetent, uncaring people in charge of our affairs. They neglect the very things for which they were elected to serve.

The solution is simple. NNP needs to shape up or ship out.

National Democratic Congress