By Nafeeza Yahya-Sukar

THE indigenous communities of Orealla/ Sipurata , East Berbice, Corentyne, looks set for major transformation as investors have expressed an interest in mining bauxite there.

This was disclosed by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat during a visit to the area last Monday.

According to the minister, he has spoken to several investors who have expressed an interest in not only mining the precious ore, but in also setting up an aluminium plant as well.
Bharrat explained that based on testing done, the area contains very large deposits of bauxite ore of high quality.

“I met a few investors who are willing to come to develop the Taraculi bauxite deposit. It is one of the largest bauxite deposit[sic] remaining in the country that is untouched and from the studies we that have been done and from information we would have [sic] received, the bauxite is of very high quality, so the interest is there from investors to come and to do mining in this area,” he said.

He continued: “The plan too by the investors is to set up what we call an aluminium plant; the aluminium plant would add value to our ore because for too long we have been exporting raw materials; we haven’t been exporting value-added products and you would know that when you export value-added products you earn maybe 10 times more than when you export logs or the raw material.”

The Natural Resources Minister expressed optimism that Guyana will be
transformed over the next five years by partnering with citizens to
help add value to products, thereby earning more from the said items.

“When you export one log you make US$60 off of that log, if you convert that log to value-added products you make close to 60,000 from that very log. That is why adding value to our products is a priority for our government, to ensure that we no longer export bauxite (the ore) but we export aluminium so that we don’t export logs as we do before, but we export furniture, value-added products,” he pointed out.

Toshao of the two communities, Carl Peneux told the Guyana Chronicle that from his understanding the deposits in the area are so large that it would take between 25-40 years for it to be extracted.

TREMENDOUS BENEFIT

“By having miners there, our communities will benefit tremendously in all areas; the roads and old airstrip will have to be upgraded; the demand for our produce would be greater; fishermen would be making more sales; our eco-tourism would be boosted and all other services associated with this would be in demand. I know for sure [that] the entire area would be transformed and the economy in here would skyrocket so much that you would see people wanting to leave the coastland and come in here to work,” the indigenous leader explained.

Touching on the oil-and-gas sector, Minister Bharrat reiterated the President’s commitment that every single Guyanese will benefit from the proceeds, whether or not they are directly involved in the sector.

This, he said, will be achieved by utilising funds from the oil-and-gas sector to develop critical infrastructure and services as well as the other sectors, so that the country is not solely dependent on one sector.
He further disclosed that of the US$148M collected from the sale and royalties of oil in the Natural Resources Fund, the government “has not used a single dollar as of today,” despite recently preparing a large emergency budget.

Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat stated that the Ministries of Public Works and Natural Resources will be collaborating to develop a road from Kwakwani to Orealla from early next year, as the government focuses on developing infrastructure in mining areas.

“We have made a commitment and in fact we have started making budgetary allocations as I have explained to toshao that between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Public Infrastructure we are going to develop the road from Kwakwani to Orealla. As a matter of fact, that road will start early next year. We have already started to secure the funding,” he said.

The road will not only make it easier for the residents to take their produce to the coastland, but also open up new lands and new opportunities for all.

Work on the Linden to Kwakwani trail has already begun and the government is committed to building a highway from Linden to Lethem that will eventually create a link from Orealla to Brazil, the minister told residents.

“The future for us is bright and I want to assure you too that the Orealla/Siparuta Village, you have a partner in the Government of Guyana. We will work with you within the next five years to ensure that dreams become  reality; to ensure that the lives of the people in Orealla/Siparuta are much better than it is, that is what we intend to do,” he told the residents.