Overnight Rains Add to Deplorable Street Conditions; Help is on the Way

Heavy rains were once again recorded overnight that affected various parts of the country, including the low-lying areas of Belize City.  No sooner than the Briceño administration had gone to the National Assembly for an allocation of twelve million dollars to repair streets and drains that were damaged from last week’s flood, some neighborhoods in the Old Capital were once again under water.  On Wednesday, in supporting the motion brought to the house by Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat, his colleague, Gilroy Usher Senior, spoke on repairs that have become necessary in his from Port Loyola constituency.

Gilroy Usher Sr

Gilroy Usher Sr., Area Representative, Port Loyola

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to make reference to the supplementary allocation in regards to the twelve million dollars for infrastructure development.  Mr. Speaker, the allocation is very important for a number of reasons.  It is a fact that our country was hit by sudden heavy rains that caused tremendous damage to our streets and roads in the cities, towns and villages.  It is also a fact that the floods were so fierce that they destroyed a number of culverts that had stood up in regular rains and washed away several parts of many streets in rural areas and urban areas of the country.  This supplementary budget is very important and timely because, first of all, the funds are needed to address the needs of the streets in the city and rural areas and also for the economy to function at its highest level.  It is very important that people, as well as vehicles and others are able to move from point A to point B with the least difficulty.  It is also necessary because more economic activity will stir up, as I said, when people can move around and vehicles move freely. I am happy to say to the residents of Port Loyola who are listening, that given the track record of the government and the track record of the Ministry of Infrastructure in giving value for money, I am sure that out of that one point nine million dollars every effort will be made to upgrade JR Street, Butterfly Street, Reggae Street, Gibson Street and other streets in the Port Loyola Division that were heavily affected with the recent floods.”