Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has affirmed that there will be no compromise on quality at the Government-operated asphalt plant.
Edghill, accompanied by a team of senior technical staff from his Ministry, recently conducted a visit to the facility, where he emphasised the need for operational excellence to support the country’s infrastructure agenda.
During the visit, the team assessed the facility’s current operational capabilities and identified areas for immediate improvement.
Following the tour, the Minister convened a meeting with the plant’s management team, where he outlined his expectations for the facility and emphasised the need for strict quality control, production efficiency, and robust management systems.
“The asphalt produced here is the foundation of our national road network. We cannot compromise on quality,” Edghill is quoted as saying in a statement from the Ministry.
He charged the technical staff to ensure that every batch meets rigorous standards to guarantee the longevity of road projects across the country. The Minister also addressed the need for improved efficiency in production.
With the Ministry’s aggressive timeline for infrastructure development, he noted that the plant must optimise its output to avoid delays in road construction and maintenance.
Furthermore, Minister Edghill stressed the importance of strengthening management systems, calling for better oversight, accountability, and streamlined workflows to ensure the plant operates as a model of efficiency within the public sector.
In an effort to ensure quality materials are used in the construction of roads across the country, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had noted last year that the Public Works Ministry will be instituting penalties against delinquent concrete suppliers, whose shortcomings are resulting in delays in a number of projects.
In February 2025, Jagdeo had told reporters that several small contractors on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) had complained of being given substandard concrete from suppliers or less than the amount procured for the projects.
Explaining the implications of such practices, the vice president said, “So 28 days later, a road should be at 4000 PSI or 4500 PSI; they’re getting 2000 PSI. That means they’re cheating on the quality of the concrete, so the small guy who is building the road, he buys the concrete, he gets a small contract, but when he does the road, it doesn’t meet the standard, and it starts dusting, then he gets blamed too, but it is the quality of the concrete supplied.”