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Apr 02, 2014 News
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Joseph Harmon, on Monday last formally tabled questions in the National Assembly, querying the involvement of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in the building of the Del Conte Road.
The questions have been posed to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, for written response.
According to Harmon, on March 30, 2014, there was a notice published in the Guyana Chronicle where GGMC was requesting proposals for: Consultancy services for engineering designs and supervision of works for the Parika to Goshen road, Lot 1: Parika to Aliki, Lot 2: Aliki to Itaka, Lot 3: Itaka to Goshen.
The Parika to Goshen Road is popularly called the Del Conte Road/Trail and was pursued by previous administrations but lapsed.
Harmon wants to know on what basis was it determined that GGMC should be the executing agency for this proposed road. He is also questioning on what basis the project was determined to be a mining road, thus qualifying it for GGMC funding.
The APNU Executive Member is also querying what consultations, if any, have taken place with stakeholders in the mining sector to determine that this is a priority mining sector project, worthy of GGMC funding.
Harmon wants to know too what role, if any, the Ministry of Public Works has played in developing the technical scope of works for this project and if the Cabinet has formally approved the project and its execution through the GGMC.
During the early 1960s there was an attempt to construct the East Bank Essequibo Road commencing from Parika going along the river to connect to Bartica. The then administration had made significant investments into the project which was named after a Venezuelan company that acquired the contract.
Construction of the asphalted surface road is slated to commence later this year once the design is completed.
According to sources, instead of depending solely on the Linden-Mabura Road to get into the interior, miners and commuters would be able to use the Parika/Goshen Road as the first leg of that journey.
In July 2012, protestors effectively shutdown the mining town of Linden, and many mining operations in the interior suffered. Miners were unable to take cargo in and out of their camps through the Linden-Mabura route. There were calls for Government to aggressively pursue constructing an alternative access road to the interior.
To reach mining camps safely and avoid the criminal elements that infringed the protest, miners accessed Bartica via ferry from Bartica. This ignited earlier calls by miners in Regions Seven and Eight to have the road access.
According to the senior official, mining continues to play a significant role in Guyana’s development and is now the leading foreign exchange earner. While the sector is faced with a number of challenges, one of the key issues continues to be the inability of miners to access the various locations in the shortest and safest possible manner.
The Parika to Goshen Road which has been under consideration for many years, offers an alternative to this issue. It would also result in the opening up of additional agricultural lands in Region Three. The purpose of this intervention is to increase the productivity and competitiveness of Guyana’s extractive sector.
It was President Donald Ramotar who last year in a public address to the nation announced the building of the road.
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