THE National Mining Syndicate on Tuesday complained about the deplorable state of the Puruni Road in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). According to its President, Cheryl Williams, the road has been in an impassable state for more than a year, and though a contract was signed since 2018 for it to be repaired, the project is still to be completed.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that in 2018, J and B General Construction Services was awarded a contract to the tune of $88.9M to repair the stretch of road from Itaballi Landing to Puruni. The contract was awarded by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), however, it was later discovered that the contractor lacked the capacity to effectively execute the project, and the contract was terminated. J and B General Construction had already been paid a percentage of the money.

On January 15, 2019, the GGMC reportedly signed a new contract with Toolsie Persaud to the tune of $156.2M and a mobilisation fee has since been paid. A GGMC official familiar with the project has indicated that work has commenced on the road.

But Williams said while the project is being executed at snail’s pace, miners continue to suffer. She has linked the death of two persons to the condition of the road. “As a result of the deplorable state of the road, miners who have no choice but to utilise it to access their mining blocks and camps have been injured and in some cases died,” Williams told reporters during a press conference held at Sharon’s Mall, Georgetown.

The Puruni road runs from Itaballi through Papishou and is reportedly the only entrance and exit to various wings of the Mazaruni/Cuyuni District. The National Mining Syndicate president said, as a result of the appalling condition of the road, miners struggle to transport their supplies to keep their operations afloat.

“When the road is good, the transportation getting in is $15,000 for one passenger. When the road is not good, going with the boat, which is risky, is $20,000 a passenger. Those vehicles that charge $15,000 cannot use the road. The trucks that are going in, when the road is bad you pay between $300,000 and a $1,000,000 to get in, and you take days. Just to reach to Puruni, you take four, five days,” she explained. According to her, she was forced to shut down her mining operation in the Puruni area for two weeks due to the poor state of the road.

“Last December, a miner travelling to Puruni was forced to exit his vehicle to walk a portion of the road as the vehicle was wrenched. During the process, the miner suffered a broken leg and was transported to Bartica and then to Georgetown for medical attention.
“On February 1, 2019, a Bahier (a cook), who was travelling to the Puruni mining district, was held up for three days on the said road. The woman, unfortunately, was unable to take care of herself, hygiene or otherwise. On the fourth day, the woman managed to exit the vehicle she was stranded in, to urine, and upon her return to the vehicle, died,” Williams told reporters.

Notably, Williams sits on the GGMC Board, and while according to her, the Puruni Road has been a subject of much discussion, it is unclear what is preventing completion of the project. She said, though the project may have started, much more is required.
“Ever so often when [the] Puruni Road is being done, it lasts for probably a year and then it goes bad, and then it takes forever for somebody to repair or fix it,” she complained while calling for a higher quality of road.

“Mining, in particular gold and diamond mining, is a consistent revenue-earner for the state. Annually, it contributes significantly to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“We are pleading once again with the government, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), to fix the Puruni road and rid miners of the trial currently faced to access mining areas,” she urged.

GGMC Special Projects Manager, Arun Richard, in offering clarity on the project, explained that J & R General Construction’s contract was terminated after it was found that the company had poorly executed its work. He said the agreement had to be terminated on January 15, 2019, and to date, a total of $32.9M was paid.

Richard confirmed that Toolsie Persaud Timber Trader’s Inc. was awarded a new contract in the sum of $156.2M and the mobilisation advance was paid on February 1, 2019.
“This increased sum reflects the added deterioration that has occurred on the road from last year November to date,” the GGMC official explained. According to him, work has commenced. “The strategy involves first tackling the deteriorated sections at One km, then to Five km and then to Brenda Hill, before working on the other areas,” he told the Guyana Chronicle.