A number of questions from the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, were put to the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Haydn Hughes, in the Anguilla House of Assembly on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.
The question and answer period, in connection with the redevelopment and financing of several roads, was both orderly and respectful and without the sometimes rancour or hostility seen in the past between the two parliamentarians.
Following are those questions and responses:
WHEREAS, at the Government Press Conference held on Monday 20th September 2021 the Minister of Infrastructure provided an update to the general public in relation to the construction of the Carter Rey Boulevard;
AND WHEREAS, the Minister of Infrastructure, on being questioned, advised that the funding from the United Kingdom for the Carter Rey Boulevard road just deals with the road exclusively and does not take into consideration the underground works and, further, that the underground works would be funded either from the capital budget or from the various entities that have come on board with the development of the said road; AND WHEREAS, the redevelopment of the side roads would be paid by the taxpayers of Anguilla; Can the Minister indicate to this Honourable House and to the people of Anguilla,
1. Which of the “various entities that have come on board” have already committed to investing monies into the underground works for the Carter Rey Boulevard? What, if any, is the amount of each commitment?
RESPONSE:
The Government of Anguilla is collaborating and cost sharing with utility and communication companies on the Valley Underground project, which aims to connect the hospital and businesses via cables to the Corito Substation. The joint underground project is led by ANGLEC and the entities include ANGLEC, the Water Corporation, Digicel, and DITES. FLOW has already done there underground work. I would like to pause briefly to express our sincere gratitude to all our partners on this project their contributions have been invaluable. For the publicly owned entities, the monies committed by ANGLEC approximate EC$1 Million. Total contributions by WCA are projected to be EC$102,812.50. The GOA’s current commitment is budgeted at US$114,936.21 or EC$308,200. This funds the GOA contribution of US$50,264.21 as well as additional costs of US$64,672 related to conduits being included by DITES. The final contribution amount is intended to be confirmed under a Joint Venture Agreement.
2. At what point will the determination be made that funding for the underground works should be taken from the capital budget?
RESPONSE:
Well, My Learned Colleague, the Supplementary Budget that was passed two weeks ago in this Honourable House by all of us in attendance, made provision for increased capital expenditure related to the Government’s component of the underground works (the EC$308,200 referenced above). This provision was made in the Ministry of Economic Development, Investment, Commerce, Information technology and Natural Resources (EDICITNR) under IT Infrastructure. Capital expenditure related to the other entities collaborating in the underground works will be borne by these entities. There are no current intention to fund such costs from the capital budget.
3. Which “side roads” that were referred to during the Government Press Conference on 20th September 2021 is to be developed by the taxpayers of Anguilla?
RESPONSE:
The “side-roads” are Spring Path Road, the Road west of ATHPS, the road adjacent to Merchant’s Market and the George Hill to Jeremiah Gumbs Highway link, totaling approximately 1.5km. These are ‘shovel ready’ jobs, which were carefully identified to enhance our road network and boost our nation’s productivity. The intention is to fix many more side roads over the duration of this term. As you can appreciate, there are too many people on island eating dust while paying taxes and the time has come for reinvestment in our nations road network. 4. What is the total cost of the development of the “side roads”? RESPONSE: I note the following question addresses affordability of the planned expenditure so please allow me to address both questions together.
5. Do you consider that, based on Anguilla’s current financial situation, the development of the “side roads” from the taxpayers of Anguilla at this time is affordable and/or a priority?
RESPONSE:
The Supplementary Budget, allocates EC$150,000 to fund these works. This total funding allocation for the four roads covers labor, material and equipment rental, as well as making provision for contingencies. However, I want to highlight that these works utilize milled asphalt material that was produced during the airport resurfacing project; a project that was well over two years overdue. The cost savings from being able to utilise these incidental materials are estimated in the millions. The opportunity to use milled asphalt material while it is still viable will assist in reducing the strain on the recurrent budget and the taxpayers in developing these public roads. Taxpayers who use these roads will benefit from smoother travels, shorter journey times and less dust. This will result in reduce wear and tear on vehicles as well as contribute to fuel savings and a cleaner and healthier environment. The right time is now.
Chronic underfunding of our capital budget has resulted in dilapidated road infrastructure. It is time that we ‘take the high road’ to better and more resilient infrastructure and I was tasked by the Honourable Premier and the People of Road South in particular, and the people of Anguilla in general to deliver on this promise and deliver, we will.
