The government is nearing its first drawdown from a $100 million road improvement programme as Public Works officials complete amendments to the required documentation, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said.

Browne provided the update during his weekly radio programme after being asked whether the government had begun accessing the funds.

“We tried it recently,” Browne said. “We were told that some amendments to the documentation had to be made for the drawdown, so Public Works is now dealing with that.”

The prime minister said the government was “almost there” but declined to give a specific date for accessing the money.

He said the first drawdown is expected to be $20 million once the Public Works engineers and the department’s director complete and submit the amended documents.

“As soon as the Public Works engineers and the director can get the amended documentation in place, then we can draw the first $20 million,” Browne said.

The financing is expected to support the government’s wider road rehabilitation programme as authorities face continued complaints about deteriorating roads across Antigua and Barbuda.

Browne did not identify which roads would be included in the first phase or provide a timetable for the start of work funded by the initial drawdown.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Government Nears First Drawdown From $100 Million Road Programme.