Questions swirl over cost, need for Linden-Mabura Road

Dec 21, 2021 News

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– Lall warns against graft, says funds should be spent on developing coastal road network

Kaieteur News – For years, political leaders here have spoken about the need for a reliable road link between Guyana and Brazil and the trail from Linden to Lethem has been earmarked as the perfect place to start.

Though several studies have been completed for such a project in the past, the PPP/C Government seems to be moving with great alacrity to commence work with the first phase being from Linden-Mabura.
The CDB which is funding the project in collaboration with the United Kingdom had said that the upgrading of this portion of the largely unpaved road from Linden to Mabura Hill is more than an infrastructure project. The Bank said it will include social safeguards that will ensure residents benefit from the road development; and environmental protections, to preserve the ecosystem. According to the Bank, the project will also include activities to mitigate risks associated with increased development, which will build social resilience in the communities along the corridor and preserve the rights of vulnerable groups.
As an additional benefit, the CDB said at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing poverty in the country, the road project will provide direct employment for both the short-term and long-term in a region characterised by high unemployment. It will also advance sustainable livelihoods of small and medium enterprises by facilitating access to financing, markets, and capacity-building services for residents in the project area, including Indigenous people. The project will promote improved social resilience of communities through capacity-building sessions. This will help to mitigate risks that could result from increased construction activity and heightened development of the area. The sessions will increase awareness about critical social issues, such as gender equality, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and the welfare of people with disabilities, children, youth, and the elderly. The project will also include an essential road safety component to protect users and communities along the route.
Spend funds on other projects
However, speaking on one of his weekly radio programmes, Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall questioned the cost of the project, as well its economic viability. Lall believes that costal road links are of far greater importance at present, given the increase in road traffic. “Everybody knows that the roads in this country are insufficient to handle and take care of the traffic, everybody knows also that this country has been on a development pathway for the past couple of years. Roads have become one of the major downfall in Guyana. At present, it is causing a tremendous dent towards development, you can’t leave your office to do anything and get back to work in an hour, ½ of a day finish in the traffic alone. It has become a nightmare, it has become a sick everyday right across this land, more so the East Coast, the West Coast, the East Bank and the West Bank of all Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara. Our leaders are clueless as to how to find a solution to this vehicular madness that has taken over this land,” Lall said.

 

He then pointed out that Guyana borrowed US$47M and fixed the West Coast of Demerara road, then a further US$45M to build the East Coast of Demerara highway. It borrowed US$31M for the Sheriff Street and Mandela Avenue road; spent US$13M for the Eccles to Mandela Avenue and maybe another US20M to be borrowed to connect Diamond to Eccles. “So we talking about almost US$160M of borrowed money to fix some roads. Whether we get value for money – that’s another thing, but that’s not what I am talking about here.” He said borrowing US$160M to fix the West Coast, East Coast, Sheriff Street, Diamond to Mandela will ease a great burden on the people of this country who use the roads every day, in and out the city. “I applaud the government for doing things like that, but when you hear your government borrowing US$190M to upgrade Linden to Mabura Road then one has to ask serious questions as to what is going on in this country with our lives,” Lall stated.

The newspaper publisher said he is certain that the US$190M from the United Kingdom and the CDB can do Sheriff Street, Mandela Avenue, West Coast, East Coast, Diamond to Mandela, then that US$190M can complete the East Coast, can complete the West Coast, can take Diamond to Timehri and if used in a more efficient manner, you can have a 4-lane to Crabwood Creek. “…but instead President Ali and Edghill and whoever is going to upgrade Linden/Mabura Road – you know what they going to do – if they ever carry through with this project, the Chinese would get the work, the Chinese would put two bulldozers and grade one and two places for the next 10 years and 5 more US$190M will come out of your Treasury to go there – exactly what they are doing to each and every one of us with that CJIA project,” Lall said. Lall believes that the Linden/Mabura road will be another ‘milking cow.’ He then questioned what the Linden/Lethem Road will contribute to this country, he said the US$190M can pay 38.7% increase to public servants.
The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) last week opened billion-dollar bids from Brazilian and Chinese firms vying for the contract to upgrade the Linden to Mabura Hill road, a project that is Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) funded. This project is being undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works, and according to their engineer’s estimate this project is pegged at some $34,197,257,104. Those competing for the contract are China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (China), China Railway International Company Limited (China), Shandong Luqiao Group Company Limited (China), Queirozgalao (Brazil), and joint ventures Castilho (Brazil) and local company, EOCI.

In December 2020, it was announced that the CDB, the Government of Guyana and the United Kingdom Government have partnered to fund this US$190 million project, for the upgrading of approximately 121km of road from Linden to Mabura Hill to an asphaltic concrete road that would improve the connectivity between Guyana’s hinterland and the coastal areas.
According to reports, the Bank is putting US$112 million through a loan towards this project, the government is putting US$12 million, and the UK Government is putting US$66 million.
This project will represent the first phase of the much-hyped Linden/Lethem roadway, which would improve travel time to Brazil and connections to thousands of hinterland people.

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