Concrete plans in place to lessen the high cost of hinterland transport, connect remote communities – VP Jagdeo

For many years, hinterland regions have been facing challenges due to the high cost of transport, which increases the cost of goods and commodities.

This worsened under the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change Coalition, which added a 14 per cent tax on air travel.

Even though the PPP/C Administration removed the 14 per cent tax when it assumed government in 2020, the cost of travel and freight remains high.

In the next five years, a comprehensive plan will be implemented to address the cost of moving people and goods in the hinterland regions, according to Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

He made the remarks in response to a question posed by members of the media during a party press briefing held at Freedom House Georgetown on Thursday.

According to him, the next PPP/C Government will prioritise investments in long-term infrastructure, which will connect interior regions by road, significantly reducing reliance on expensive air travel.

“If we can connect Region Eight, which we plan to do, to Region Nine by road, then [it means goods] no longer have to be flown in,” he explained. “That is part of the long-term plans. In the next five years, we will work on that.”

The same principle applies to upgrades on the Lethem Road and several key road links in Region One, including Hossoro to Quebana to Moruca, Wauna to Mabaruma, and Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge, with the vice president stating, “It gives us more options there to lower cost.”

He also noted that the government is acquiring a second vessel to serve Region One, further easing the burden of shipping goods in and out of remote communities.

In regions where chartered aircraft remain the only option, like in the Upper Mazaruni of Region Seven, Dr Jagdeo said some operators inflate prices by selling cargo space after chartering a flight.

To address this, the government is preparing to expand the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) commercial wing by purchasing additional aircraft to service interior routes at more affordable rates.

“The president repeated it in Mahdia … we will buy more aircraft to populate the commercial arm of the GDF, which would assist with reducing the cost in the hinterland,” he reminded.

This, he said, is part of the government’s comprehensive plan to address this issue, stating that no other political party has presented such targeted, practical solutions for hinterland residents, saying, “You get platitudes from them.”

Over the past five years, significant resources have been invested in the rehabilitation and expansion of existing airstrips, as part of the government’s ongoing commitment to reducing high air fares.