ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The opposition New National Party (NNP) said today that Grenada’s roads are in need of urgent attention as they are not only making driving difficult, uncomfortable, and costly for drivers individually, but also imposing a high economic cost burden on taxpayers.
Former Works Minister Gregory Bowen said that all the streets in the town of St. George, in particular the Carenage are in a deplorable state.
He added that the roads island-wide have deteriorated terribly due to a chronic lack of maintenance during the last two and a half years by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
“A major factor contributing to the economic growth in Grenada is the significant investment of over EC$400 million (US$148.1 million) in our primary (asphalt) and secondary (concrete) road infrastructure made by the New National Party between 1996 and 2008, following on the electrification programme of 1985 to 1989,” Bowen said. “By discontinuing the maintenance of the roads, this NDC government has shortened the time to the next major resurfacing by over five years.”
Bowen said that this will put an extra burden on the tax payers translating into over EC$200 million (US$74 million) of capital expenditure over the next few years that should not have been required.
He also said that this would have a devastating effect on Government’s fiscal capability, while at the same time forcing drivers to spend more on tyres, gasoline, brake pads, and other moving vehicles parts.
The New National Party has called on the Government to address the road maintenance problem which it said would, in the long run, release funds for other uses as healthcare, youth development and agriculture. (CMC)
