Khan says more than $20M for roads this year

Government will spend $20.75 million this year on road repairs and $3 million for the bridges under its bridges’ programme.

Works and Transport Minister Franklyn Khan last Friday provided a breakdown of the amount of money being spent for road repairs through the Road Improvement Fund (RIF). He said an estimated $1.6 million will be spent on roads in St George West, $2.3 million for St George East, $1.68 million for  St Andrew/St David, $2.34 million in Caroni, $3.2 million for Victoria (East) and $2.80 million in Victoria West. Work on roads in Nariva/Mayaro will cost $1.45 million and $1.13 million million for St Patrick. Khan said a further $4.17 million has been allocated for plant and equipment for head office.

Responding to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament for Fyzabad, Chandresh Sharma about the RIF, Khan said revenue collected under the RIF for 2002 totalled $63,980,095.46. However, for this year $50 million in revenue is expected. Asked about the decline in revenue, Khan said the the amount budgeted for 2003 was a draft estimate and would “very likely” be increased by the end of the year. This amount, he said,  would serve as the basis for a more accurate forecast for a next year’s RIF. Outlining how revenue collected under the RIF is distributed Khan said 47.5 percent went to Ministry of Works and Transport, 47.5 percent to the Ministry of Local Government and five percent to the Tobago House of Assembly.