Guyana’s Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has called on citizens to report substandard infrastructural work in their communities so the government can take corrective action.
Speaking at his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, Dr Jagdeo acknowledged that with over 40,000 contracts being implemented nationwide, the government cannot personally oversee every project. He urged the public to play an active role in ensuring accountability.
“We’re open, we’re transparent, and we’re encouraging citizens—if you see public infrastructure being done in a shoddy manner, speak up. Post a picture online. We don’t take it as criticism of the government if you expose poor work. We have a duty to check it out and fix it because we can’t be everywhere at once,” he said.
Dr Jagdeo highlighted the government’s extensive infrastructure agenda, including the construction of 12 new hospitals, new schools, roads, and bridges, all aimed at improving public welfare and expanding the economy.
However, he admitted that some projects have been poorly executed, causing unnecessary inconvenience. He stressed that the issue lies not in the planning but in the implementation, with negligence from those responsible for overseeing the work.
“It has nothing to do with planning. It’s just neglect—people not doing what they should be doing. We pay engineers for a purpose—to ensure things are done properly. But they can’t behave like little gods,” he said.
Dr Jagdeo reiterated that the government is not opposed to public scrutiny but welcomes it as a means of improving service delivery.
“What are we here for, if not to improve public works? It is not a failure of the government. In fact, it shows the government is committed to ensuring we get value for money,” he said.
At the recent Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, he also expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Public Works’ handling of construction sites, acknowledging the disruption caused to citizens.
The government, he assured, remains committed to addressing these concerns and improving infrastructure quality across the country.
