Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 06, 2016 (SKNIS): The role of the Public Works Department (PWD) in maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure in St. Kitts and Nevis is being celebrated this week.
June 5 to 12, has been designated as Public Works Week 2016 which aims to raise the profile of the PWD, engage the public in information sharing, and foster closer working relationships with stakeholders. The theme is “Striving for Efficiency in the Maintenance of Our Public Infrastructure.”
“In choosing the theme, the Public Works Department is challenging itself to undertake an internal and external assessment of its performance and to commit to continually seek to accomplish more with less,” Minister of Public Infrastructure, Ian “Patches” Liburd said on Sunday during an address to open the week. He added that this thrust for improvement was necessary given the increasing demands for quality service by residents and visitors.
“The fact is that public infrastructure plays a significant role in determining the quality of our lives,” Minister Liburd said. “Hence the government, through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will continue to ensure that our roads, our drainage systems, our public buildings, our water supply systems, our electrical systems and our air, land and sea – our transportation systems are designed and maintained in such a manner so as to encourage safety and efficient functioning thus bringing maximum benefit to us all.”
The PWD has a number of sections including vehicle repair, carpenter shop, roads, a quarry, a laboratory, and building board which covers architectural plans etc. The staff’s recent accomplishments on a number of projects, including the construction of the tunnel on the Dr. Kennedy A Simmonds Highway, the repairing of roads, and the clearing of storm drains, were commended.
Minister Liburd appealed to the generalpublic to join the efforts to protect landmarks and other infrastructural upgrades performed by the PWD from vandals.
On Sunday, members of the PWD worshipped at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Other activities for the week-long observance of Public Works Week 2016 include a professional development day, a dinner and award ceremony, and an open day.