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Toying with our continental destiny

Mar 30, 2010 Editorial

For as long as one can remember Guyana has always maintained that it has a continental destiny. Historically it has been a country within the West Indies, largely because of a shared history and a common language. The people even took to moving to a West Indian country before moving closer to its neighbours on the continent.
It has only been relatively recent that Guyanese have been moving to Suriname. But Guyana’s fortunes lie southward, to countries like Brazil and Venezuela. Brazil, the South American giant with its technology and its large population, will do the Guyana economy a lot of good.
Indeed Brazil has been responsible for the unprecedented increase in gold production through the introduction of technology with the result that Guyanese miners are now setting targets that were once the preserves of large mining companies operating in Guyana.
Some producers are eyeing markets in Brazil. For example, the National Milling Company is trying to sell flour to Brazil and is recording some success. The Brazilians, on the other hand, are coming this way because they know that this country offers them opportunities. Such has been the impact of the Brazilians that in Bartica, a hinterland community, signs are bilingual.
The Brazilians have churches in the city and they have opened restaurants and hotels. Their night clubs offer entertainment of a new variety.
The best link between countries is the road link. Europe, which is now operating as a unified country, has a road network that links all of the countries. Guyana and Brazil have a road link but it is a far cry from what should be there. On the Brazilian side there are highways right up to the border with Guyana. The Brazilians must have realized the importance of Guyana to the growth of Brazil’s export economy because they built a bridge across the Takutu River and actually paved a section of that road link on the Guyana side.
The unsurfaced road that serves as a link between the coast and the Rupununi is crucial to any development of this country’s continental destiny. Buses and other vehicles use it extensively. The extensive dry season has helped tremendously but when the rains come that road could become treacherous.
In the past we have seen vehicles transporting man and goods to the hinterland becoming bogged down. Some caused bridges along the way to collapse. While the bridges may be in a better condition this time around the road surface is bound to deteriorate during the rains.
Guyana thought its private sector, has long said that it needs the road. However there has been no budgetary allocation for its upgrade. That could signal some disinterest on the part of Guyana especially when one considers that Brazil has completed everything that it was required to for the road link.
Last week a Brazilian mission came and began to negotiate contracts and deals with Guyanese. Some are seeking lumber because it is illegal to ship lumber out of Brazil; some have begun discussions with the producers of building material and still some have begun to explore shipping arrangements out of Port Georgetown.
We know that the government has the fear of illegal articles entering the country via the developed road link and this may be responsible for the sloth in developing the road link. But the government must remember that every road attracts residents and business. Some gas stations and restaurants are beginning to appear. This means employment.
The use of the wharves would spell money for the public treasury and the use of certain roads would mean toll. Guyana would also find it cheaper to export goods to Brazil. For example, Banks DIH could see its profits soar if it could enter the Brazil market. Increased profits for Banks DIH would mean more taxes for the Guyana Government.
The fact is that any expenditure on the road would be recouped. Surfacing that road link between Guyana and Brazil is a win-win situation for this country.

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