Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has debunked claims that the Government is granting operational licences for sandpits and quarries to the Chinese nationals.
“It’s a fallacy,” he said during his weekly press conference on Thursday.
Jagdeo explained that from 2020 to 2024, the number of quarries which are in operation moved from six to 16, with production moving from under 740,000 tonnes per year to 3.3 million tonnes per year.
However, he clarified that the ten new operational licences issued by the current administration were all issued to Guyanese who then “give the contracts to Chinese to operate.”
The increase in licences has led to the cost for stone moving from $18,000 per tonne to approximately $8,200 per tonne.
Similar concerns, he said, were raised on sand production. He disclosed that permits were granted to 49 holders from 2020 to date. This moved the total holders from 18 in 2020 to 67 in 2024, increasing production from under 700,000 tonnes of sand produced per year to 12 million tonnes per year.
Again, he assured that the Chinese are not the permit holders.
Responding to concerns about a possible “Chinese takeover”, the Vice President pointed out that with over $52 billion being spent in the housing sector on the East Coast of Demerara, there are no Chinese contractors involved. A similar situation, he said, obtains at Wales on the West Bank of Demerara where 5,000 lots are being developed.
“They’re all Guyanese people…,” he pointed out.
In fact, Jagdeo explained that the Chinese contractors are completing projects for which they have won bids. This includes less than 10% of the Heroes Highway, the East Coast Road Expansion project and the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
“The Chinese have to move stones and all of that for the bridge and some access roads… not that many Chinese here,” he noted.
Other projects involving Chinese contractors, he said, are privately-owned developments, like hotels.
Nevertheless, the Vice President emphasised that the Chinese nationals working in Guyana must adhere to the country’s laws and regulations.
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