GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has firmly rejected claims in the public domain that quarry and sand permits have been granted to Chinese nationals, stating that such assertions are misleading and politically motivated.

Speaking at a Thursday news conference, Dr. Jagdeo addressed concerns that have surfaced in relation to Chinese nationals getting preferential treatment over local truckers.

“It’s a fallacy,” he said, highlighting that from 2020 to 2024, the number of quarries which are in operation has moved from six to 16.

None of the licences for the 10 additional operating quarries were granted to Chinese nationals, Dr. Jagdeo stated.

All of these licences were issued to Guyanese companies, which may have contracted Chinese firms to operate the quarries, but the ownership and control of the licences remain entirely local, he clarified.

He acknowledged that some individuals are attempting to use the struggles of local truckers for political mileage ahead of elections, but, he emphasised, the facts tell a different story.

Highlighting the rapid expansion of the quarrying sector, Jagdeo cited data presented earlier this year by the Minister of Finance during the National Budget debates. In 2020, Guyana had six operational quarries producing less than 740,000 tonnes of stone. By 2024, this number surged to 16 quarries, with production exceeding 3.3 million tonnes. An additional three quarries are expected to become operational later this year.

At one point, a tonne of stone cost $18,000 due to high demand.

Today, because of greater competition, you can get it for about $8,200 per tonne. That’s lower than the 2020 prices, Dr. Jagdeo explained.

He noted that while both truckers and quarry operators are now seeing slimmer profit margins compared to the peak pricing period, the country, as a whole, is benefitting.

“It’s consistent with what we said we will do; we’ll expand production. That is one way of lowering costs, because people are complaining about cost of living. You remember, we were concerned about the price of stone on building private buildings,” he said.

He further addressed misconceptions about Chinese dominance in the local resources sector, turning attention to the sand industry.

“In sand production, 2024 saw 67 permit holders across the country producing over 12 million tonnes. This marks a dramatic increase from 2020, when only 18 operations were active, yielding less than 700,000 tonnes. So, we have moved from 700,00 tonnes of sand now to 12 million tons of sand. And 49 new permit holders in the country.”

The general secretary clarified that Chinese contractors are mainly involved in private developments, such as hotels, and stressed that all Chinese nationals operating in Guyana must abide by national laws and regulations.