Linden to Mabura Road gets no-objection from CDB for construction

‐ Guyana to engage Brazilian company

The realisation of the Linden to Mabura Road has moved one step closer, as Guyana on Thursday received a no-objection from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to construct the road. The CDB is a major investor in the project which has an estimated cost of US$190 million.

The disclosure was made by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. Minister Singh said the road represents the first phase of a link that will eventually lead to Lethem, Region Nine, and into Brazil.

Last year, Guyana had a public open international tender process and received bids from a number of international companies. Dr. Singh said the bids were then evaluated by a Guyanese evaluation team that then forwarded recommendations to the CDB.

“Today we received the no objection from the Caribbean Development Bank to proceed with the recommended bid which is a consortium led by a major Brazilian construction firm Construtora Queiroz Galvao,” Minister Singh stated.

“The next step would be for the Government of Guyana to engage in negotiations and to ultimately conclude a contract with this Brazilian company,” he further added.

The construction of the road is one of the largest transport infrastructure projects government will be undertaking in the next three to four years. He said it is also one of the largest project the CDB has ever undertaken.

“Dr. Singh said the project also has financial support provided by the Government of the United Kingdom through a grant provided under the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund.”

Minister Singh said the receipt of the no-objection for Guyana to proceed with negotiations represents an endorsement of Guyana’s procurement process. He said since returning to office, government has worked hard to build an open and transparent system, after it was dismantled by the previous administration.

Dr. Singh said “this was a major project. We followed this new and enhanced and strengthened open procurement process which now has received the support and endorsement by the Caribbean Development Bank with the grant of their no objection.

Our instructions are that the technical team should enter those negotiations and conclude the process in the shortest possible time, so that a contract can be executed and so that work can commence on the road in the shortest possible time,” he stated.

Upon completion, the finance minister said the upgrade of the 121 km gravel and asphaltic concrete road will transform the lives of persons living and doing business in the hinterland.

Government, through the national budget has earmarked $6 billion for the construction of the Linden-Mabura Hill Road. A further $4.1 billion has also been budgeted for the construction of 32 bridges along the Kurupukari to Lethem corridor.