–Dr. Jagdeo says
AS Guyana undergoes its rapid transformation, its own citizens are spearheading its progress, as People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that it is mostly Guyanese contractors who are executing various projects.
He made these remarks during a press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, on Thursday.
The PPP General Secretary was at the time responding to a story from another news outlet which suggested widespread involvement of Chinese in Guyana’s construction sector.
“I pointed out that there is a fallacy that the Chinese are getting billions or hundreds of billions of dollars of work…. If you go down by the big road that’s being expanded there, the Guyanese contractors by the National Park. Those are Guyanese contractors. People who have grown over the years from not being able to get anything under APNU now to doing that high quality work here,” he said.
Dr. Jagdeo also said: “I spoke of the $300 billion that we’re spending in housing to develop all those plots. And I said, based on information from the ministry, not a single Chinese contractor is doing any of those work.”
The General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice President, further noted that out of the $300 billion being spent on housing development, not a single contract has been awarded to a Chinese company.
He emphasised that 40,000 house lots have already been developed, with another 25,000 expected by year-end, all executed by Guyanese contractors.
He said: “It’s all done by Guyanese. $300 billion for all the housing development. 40,000 that’s developed so far and another 25,000 house lots before the end of the year. That is being done by Guyanese.”
He then said on the Heroes Highway, about 10 percent of its construction went to the Chinese.
All the community roads are done by Guyanese, he affirmed while noting that the Linden-Soesdyke Highway is being done by a Guyanese and Trinidadian company.
“The only contracts that the Chinese have, big contracts in this region, are the Timehri to the Stadium Road to widen the road four feet and repave it. The East Coast Road, but they already subcontract the delivery of sand and stone to the locals, and the bridge in this region and now they want to contract in Berbice but that hasn’t started as yet, that’s it. And then the transmission main they got I think one or two of the lots on the transmission but that has not started as it,” he said.
Even with the number of sandpits increasing to 67 from 17, all are Guyanese-owned.
“Every one of those sand pits are given to Guyanese people,” he said.
However, he noted that those persons may have a Chinese national operating it, but the licenses are given to Guyanese.
Since the return of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, small contractors across the length and breadth of Guyana are benefitting from more opportunities.
During an end-of-year press conference, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill clarified that small contractors are not being sidelined in the country’s development. On the contrary, he emphasised that small contractors play a critical role in Guyana’s progress.
According to the minister, these contractors are essential to the successful implementation of various infrastructural projects, and are key contributors to the country’s ongoing growth and transformation.
The government, he assured reporters, remains committed to providing opportunities for small businesses to thrive, as part of the national development agenda.
Minister Edghill also highlighted that the Ministry of Public Works has created numerous employment opportunities for youths across various sectors, including working alongside engineers on critical projects.
While acknowledging that there are some delinquent contractors, the minister stressed that this group is minimal.
Further, in April of this year, the Ministry of Public Works, under the leadership of Minister Bishop Juan Edghill, signed a total of 293 contracts for a range of infrastructural projects across Region Six.
The contracts represent a substantial $4.2 billion investment in Region Six’s infrastructure. According to officials, a majority of the contracts were awarded to female contractors—an encouraging sign of growing gender inclusivity in the sector.