And we also asked Mai - as Orange Walk South area representative - about the deplorable conditions of the Guinea Grass Streets. Residents have taken to putting plants and signs asking for donations in the potholes. As the area rep, Mai insisted that those streets have always been like that, but this time around, the government is planning to pave them.
Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"I hear and I feel for the people of Guinea Grass. I have been there for 2 years, not even 2 years and during the time that I've been there, we have given maintenance to that road for about 10x and I will say this, throwing good money behind bad money. That road has been abandoned for 13 long years under the people's government. It is when we came in that we took it seriously. I will say to you though, already a contract has been issued to a company that will do 1.2 to about 1.3 miles, entering the village and exiting the village, the entire length of the village. That section will be paved now, we hope to start that in the next two weeks. That contract has been awarded to a company in the Spanish Lookout. So, while the criticism is strong, I don't agree with it but I understand the complaints. I've been on that road a lot, I've campaigned that road, so I know the situation and that is the reason why the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, so that we have to do something to that road and we will pave that road in the very near future. But, to begin with, we have another contract right now which is to upgrade all the roads that are in bad conditions. We've had like 4 weeks of rain in Orange Walk and Corozal, we already called for the rain and God gave us the rain we needed for the crops. It also damages our very vulnerable sugar and farm roads. So, as we speak right now, that road is being upgraded and being maintained at this time. I was out in the field yesterday; we are upgrading all the way from San Carlos to San Felipe and from San Felipe all the way into Hill Bank."
