– govt’s to soon agree design for Lethem to Mabura Hill leg; bidding to start by year-end

THE authorities in Guyana and Brazil are working to complete the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the design of the Lethem to Mabura Hill leg of the Guyana-Brazil Road within two months.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Director of Northern and Western South America at the Brazilian Ministry of External Affairs, Mr Norberto Moretti has revealed that efforts are being made to start the bidding process by year-end.

“The goal by the end of the year is to have the bidding going on,” Ambassador Moretti was quoted as saying.

“It’s an ambitious timetable, but it’s a realistic one, and we are working very hard to get it done,” he added.

Ambassador Morretti also believes that there is great interest on the part of the Brazilian government to get the road completed, since the journey from Lethem to Georgetown can take as many as 13 hours, depending on the state of the road.

While the road has recently become impassable, it is envisaged that once paved, the trip will take no more than five hours.

In a recent interview, Ambassador Moretti explained how the road will benefit Brazil, and the factors that have intensified the political will to see the project through to completion.
“It is clearer now the potential benefits of getting this road paved,” Ambassador Moretti said, adding:
“Brazil is very aware of its shortcomings in terms of infrastructure, and the need to bring down production costs.”

According to the ambassador, the Brazilian authorities have also been trying to ensure the country’s development agenda is more geographically distributed.
Brazil’s wealth and production activity have been largely concentrated in the southwest and southeast.

As the ambassador pointed out, while the northeastern and central regions of Brazil have seen progress in the last decade, there is yet need for greater effort, particularly in light of recent discoveries of oil here, and the projected increase in economic activity that that could bring.

Said he: “The road will not only be convenient and useful; it will be fundamental.”
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Ambassador to Brazil, Mr George Talbot said Guyana is currently reviewing Brazil’s proposed text on the TOR, and will make the requisite adjustments, if needs be. He said that once this is completed, the bidding process will begin.

He explained that the two countries are also examining possible funding arrangements to pave the road from Mabura Hill to Lethem. Phase One of the project covers about 125km of the road (from Linden to Mabura Hill), and also includes bridging the Kurupukari River.
Guyana secured funding from the British Government through its UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) programme to complete the design. The contract for consultancy on this aspect of the project will be awarded shortly.

“I see a benefit to connecting Guyana domestically to Brazil, and Brazil to the rest of the world,” Ambassador Talbot said.

He, however, explained that the road is just one aspect of the project. “The road will not be enough in itself; it will have to be allied with the construction of adequate port facilities,” he said. “The equation is really the port plus the road to make the project economically viable.”