Georgetown, GINA May 04, 2005 -
Minister of Finance Sasenarine Kowlessar and Canadian High Commissioner
Bruno Picard today signed an agreement in the Finance Ministry's Boardroom
through which Canada will provide Guyana with CDN $1.87 M or GY $ 300M
toward its flood recovery programme.
The funds will be provided to the National
Drainage and Irrigation Board (ND&IB) to restore drainage and irrigation
systems in Regions 2, 3, and 4, to strengthen the East Demerara Water Conservancy
Dam, to restore outlets and to provide pumps on the seawall and to ensure
that all drainage systems will be able to sustain the upcoming rainy season.
The financial assistance will be granted by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which had, prior to this, provided Canadian $362,000 to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to monitor and supervise emergency works for flood recovery and to ensure financial and technical accountability during the process.
This is in addition to another Canadian $500,000 provided to the CHF ( formerly Partners in Rural Development) for the provision of assistance to small-scale poultry producers to re-start their production, to improve nutritional standards in flood affected homes, through the establishment of household vegetable gardens, and to assist in preventing the spread of communicable diseases.
Canada also assisted Guyana with Canadian $370,000 for emergency relief needs.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Kowlessar and Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock Satyadeow Sawh thanked the Canadian Government for the assistance.
Asked by the media about how the Government is accounting for all of the monies being received from donors for its flood recovery programme, Minister Kowlessar said that all funds are being audited and accounted for.
He noted that besides the Auditor General's Department, the Ministry of Finance is also keeping its records of all monies provided and all monies spent for flood relief and recovery.
He disclosed too that this information would be provided to the Nation in due time.
The ND&IB has already begun its work on drainage systems in the three flood affected Regions of the country through a drainage and irrigation Task Force set up to carry out emergency works in preparation for the May/June rainy season.