By PETER GREEN
The Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) is to be shut down.
This was confirmed on Thursday by Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Jearlean John, during the Standing Finance Committee at the Red House.
When asked by Opposition MP Colm Imbert, how come no money was allocated for the PURE Unit in the 2027 estimates, John said the Unit will be shut down during the coming fiscal period.
She said there were 67 employees at the Unit. Of the lot, 65 employees are to be absorbed across the Ministry. That means the other two have not been retained, based on their contracts.
John said the work of PURE was mainly to build highways. That Unit was established in 2002 under the Ministry of Works and Transport by the then Minister Arnold Piggott. The programme originally began as a short-to medium-term solution to repair distressed roads, but it has since evolved into a long-term project management division responsible for upgrading highways, stabilizing slopes, and rebuilding bridges across the nation.
Through systematic rehabilitation and the upgrade and expansion of road infrastructure elements, PURE worked to ensure that roads remain safe and functional for all users.
The PURE Unit was dedicated to strengthening the economic and social well-being of communities through the innovative, timely, and consistent management of road infrastructure. The team was committed to inter-ministerial and inter-agency partnerships to continually advance the cause of an inefficient road network.
Over the 24 years, the PURE Unit worked under several Ministers, including Imbert, Jack Warner, Rohan Sinanan, Carlos John, Sadiq Baksh, Fitzgerald Hinds, Suruj Rambachan, and Jearlean John.
