THE Public Infrastructure Ministry has courted the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) with the anticipation of securing funding for the construction of the Guyana-Brazil Road Development Project.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, led a team from the ministry at a high-level meeting with the bank officials on Tuesday. The team included the Chief Works Officer, Geoffrey Vaughn; Chief Planning and Transport Officer, Patrick Thompson; Senior Project Engineer, Kester Hinds and the Permanent Secretary, Balraj Balram.

The IsDB was represented by Idrissa Dia, Division Manager of Urban Development & Services, and Wahyu Wijayanto, Senior Financial Analyst.

Ahead of the very detailed presentation, Minister Ferguson said the Ministry is thankful for the support received by IsDB in realising Guyana’s projects, particularly the Linden-Lethem corridor. She added that the bridging of the Hinterland Regions to the Coast had significant benefits, including socioeconomic impacts.

In response, Dia indicated that IsDB was more than happy to demonstrate its support to Guyana. He further said that the partnership could open doors for Guyana to parts of the world where relationships were previously unforged, including with African, South Asian, and East Asian nations.

“This type of partnership can really open Guyana in terms of economic development, technical expertise, human resources, and exposure to other parts of the world. So, we are very happy to invest where possible,” Dia said.

He also identified other possible areas of collaboration, including within the transport and energy sectors.

Meanwhile, the country’s Chief Works Officer highlighted the key components of the Guyana-Brazil Road Development Project during his detailed presentation to the officials. In his presentation, he noted that, while a road currently exists between Guyana and Brazil, its current standard was less than satisfactory. He noted that the project would include 454km of paving from Lethem to Linden since only about 33% is currently paved. Other works would include improved drainage through the upgrade of approximately 130 culverts along the identified stretch of road.

Vaughn stressed the importance of linking the Hinterlands to the Coastland and added that economic benefits for Brazil were also taken into consideration. He said too that the project would lead to a significant decrease in travelling time between Linden and Lethem.

Following the presentation, the IsDB officials said they were impressed with the project and had also used to the opportunity to query aspects of the project. The officials also shared their recommendations and said that the proposal thus far is more than adequate.

Another team from IsDB is expected to return to Guyana for further analysis of the project. Minister Ferguson expressed hope for a positive outcome following future deliberations.