Commitments made on Guyana, Brazil road construction Institutional meeting ends on high note by Andrew Richards Stabroek News April 16, 2000 A Government of Guyana/private sector delegation returned from Brazil on Friday enthusiastic about the positive outcome of the Guyana-Brazil first Institutional Meeting held in Boa Vista last week, which saw a number of important breakthroughs. The Guyana-Brazil road was one of the major topics up for discussion and several commitments on the project were made by both delegations. "With the completion of the road, socio-economic development will happen for the good of both nations in every way, consequently creating employment and income," host to the Guyana delegation, Governor of the State of Roraima, Nuedo Ribeiro Campos, told the gathering at the opening of the meeting in Boa Vista. The Governor requested that a bilateral commission be established to discuss ways of implementing the proposals coming out of the meeting. Head of the Guyana delegation, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Anthony Xavier, noted in his address to the participants that previous initiatives were taken to achieve what was now being attempted but they went nowhere. "We've come here to do business, we have not come here to play," he told his audience. "There is no doubt that there is ample opportunity for trade and investment between the two countries but we must ensure that there are no barriers to inhibit the flow of our people and of our goods," Xavier stated. The minister asserted that the main task of the meeting was to harmonise the views of both sides and the agree on the technical measues necessary to complete the Guyana-Brazil road. The decision by Guyana to integrate with Mercosur was a deliberate one by the government, Xavier stated. He said eventually the country will have to come to terms with its geo-political location and its continental destiny. The two-day meeting on April 13-14 saw workshops on trade, transport, health and technical cooperation between Guyana and Brazil. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics, Kenneth Jordan, a member of the Guyana delegation, participated in the workshop on transport, in which several proposals were made. Jordan said the officials of the Guyana and Brazilian delegations recognised the need to expand existing trade relations between the two countries for mutual benefit and the Guyana-Brazil road will play an integral part in this. The existing road is in fair condition except for a 12-15 miles stretch and could be considered an all-weather road, he said. A daily stream of traffic consisting of 4x4 vehicles traverse the link. Maintenance of the road is currently being done with government funding between the Mabura/Kurupukari area and Annai/Good Hope, Jordan stated. He stressed, however, that the resources were inadequate to fund the upgrading of the road. It was proposed that the government and the Government of the State of Roraima, along with the private sector maintain the road link between Linden and Lethem. Jordan said it was suggested that while ongoing maintenance was being done on the road, there should be a continuous aggressive search for funding to construct a well-engineered superhighway, estimated at some US$100 million. It was also put forward at the workshop that a technical committee, comprising officials from both governments and members of the two private sectors, be established to address the maintenance and construction of the road. An approach is to be made to the European Union for funding for technical assistance for this committee, which is a bilateral cooperation initiative. The suggestion was made that a technical team from Brazil visit Guyana to review a report done on the road some time ago and to make comparisons with its present condition. The Guyana delegation requested that the State of Roraima provide a written commitment on the work to be done on the road and the construction of the Takutu Bridge. Jordan reported that the discussions on the Takutu Bridge were positive. He said the project was included in the State of Roraima's budget which was now under scrutiny by the Federal Government of Brazil. A plan of the proposed bridge construction was presented by Campos to Xavier. It was also proposed that the port facilities in Linden and Georgetown be made available for the use of the government and businessmen of the State of Roraima. The Roraima delegation submitted that a border agreement be signed with the Government of Guyana to facilitate trade and to lessen bureaucratic hiccups. Guyana is to decide whether the agreement should extend beyond Region Nine. Following the implementation of a border agreement, it was suggested that an international agreement be negotiated, but in a phased manner. With regard to cargo and passenger movement across the border, a document drafted by the Brazilians is to be presented to the Guyana government to be analysed. Chairman of Region Nine, Muacir Baretto, who was a member of the delegation, said he felt the meeting was useful and the projects discussed, if successful, will bring betterment to both countries. An alliance will be created between Guyana and Brazil which could only augur well for the citizens, he said. Also accompanying Xavier was Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Geoffrey Da Silva among others. The private sector delegation was headed by Michael Correia, president of the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana. (See other stories in tomorrow's issue). The second Institutional Meeting between Guyana and Brazil is to be held within the next two months in Georgetown.