About $30B injected into improving mining roads, connecting roads in the hinterland – GS Jagdeo
Guyana is currently undergoing a massive infrastructural upgrade with significant investments being made to improve the mining roads and connecting roads in remote areas, particularly in the hinterland.
The government has injected around $30 billion to enhance the transportation network in several communities in the hinterland, benefiting citizens in every corner of the country.
Several projects are currently underway, including the ongoing work on the road from Moruca to Kwebanna, from Mabaruma to Hosororo, and within the settlement of Wauna, all located in Region One (Barima-Waini).
Additionally, the government is spending a staggering $600 million to construct three kilometres of internal roads in Port Kaituma and Mabaruma: additional works are ongoing in various hinterland regions nationwide.
General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has highlighted this infrastructural development to counter the misleading narratives that Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has been peddling during his outreach to Region One (Barima-Waini).
“If you look at even the big sub-districts like Karasabai and Aishalton, [there are] internal roads in all of these areas, paved roads I am talking about and concrete roads, leaving out the billions spent on upgrading other hinterland roads,” the general secretary told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
Dr Jagdeo highlighted the hypocrisy of the coalition party that is now campaigning for building roads in the hinterland areas, but had previously cut the allocation for building these roads from 2012-2015 by almost $90 billion.
During his engagements, Norton, a member of the APNU/AFC coalition party, ALSO promised more job opportunities and training in these hinterland areas. However, it was the same coalition party that dismissed around 2,000 indigenous youths who were employed under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP).
“I had warned that this will happen as we get closer to the elections. You’re going to have a whole slew promises again similar to 2015…with them having no credibility or intention of fulfilling their promises,” he pointed out.
They were also opposed to the government’s ‘Part Time Jobs’ programme that has provided employment to 2,000 Amerindian youths and injecting $1 billion in disposable income into these communities.
“We have rehired not only the 2,000 but increased it to 2700 now…We have expanded business opportunities, more people are employed there,” Dr Jagdeo further detailed.
Through the Low Carbon Development Strategy, US$22.5 million was allocated towards Amerindian development within one year, and more allocation is on the cards.
This is a significant increase compared to what the APNU allocated in five years for similar projects in these areas. Over 811 projects were successfully executed, leaving out the Presidential Grants that have also increased enormously.
Hinterland residents will also benefit from efficient and quality healthcare with the construction of state-of-the-art hospitals in Kamarang, Region Seven; Kato, Region Eight; and Lethem, Region Nine.
The government has secured a massive US$100 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to undertake these significant projects.
The Amerindian Land Tilting (ALT) project was also revived to guarantee absolute ownership of their lands.