GOVERNMENT, through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNR&E), has ramped-up spending on hinterland roads to encourage and support gold and diamond mining operations. A reliable source disclosed last week that the sum of $2.6B has been approved for road projects in Region 1 (Barima/Waini), Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni).
Some $544M is to be spent on roads in Region 1 as follows: $104.5M to asphalt all the internal roads in Port Kaituma; $360M to rehabilitate the road from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge and $80M to conduct routine maintenance on the road from Matthew’s Ridge to Baramita,
Some $1.15B is to be spent on roads in Region 7, including $300M to complete the construction of the road from Tamakay Landing to the Cuyuni River and linking it to the Puruni Road at Toroparu Junction, a distance of seventy-four miles; $370M to rehabilitate the road from Itaballi to Cuyuni through Aremuand; $320M to complete the construction of the road from Awarapari to the Cuyuni River.  And $160M to conduct maintenance of the road from Itaballi Landing to Pappyshow Landing.
The road from Itaballi to Wiamu in the Cuyuni is also to be rehabilitated at a cost yet to be determined.

Some $590M is to be spent in Region 8: $350M to rehabilitate the road from Brian Sucre Junction to Konawaruk; $120M to rehabilitate the road from Brian Sucre Junction to Maicobie and Tumatumari Village; $60M to conduct routine maintenance on the road from Brian Sucre Junction to Mahdia and another $96M for rehabilitating and asphalting the internal roads at Mahdia.
An additional sum of $300M has been approved for the construction of bridges and culverts as may be needed in each of the three administrative regions or for any new related contract that the government may deem fit.
The hinterland road programme should commence this month and be completed by the end of the year.