Pres Ali pledges new road links, mining lands, job creation for Bartica

… calls on miners to maintain legal operations to help build communities

President Irfaan Ali says his Government has laid out an ambitious development plan to transform Bartica into a powerhouse for mining, forestry, agriculture, and commerce, while calling on miners across Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), to operate strictly within the law, selling their gold through licensed operators and the Guyana Gold Board.

“We don’t want leakages in the system. We don’t want our gold crossing borders. We will invest in you, but we want it here to help build your community, your country, and your future,” the President told the crowd, stressing that the Government was ready to provide the financing, equipment, and infrastructure needed to make small- and medium-scale miners more profitable, while reducing their transportation costs.
The Head of State pledged significant road construction and rehabilitation to connect mining and forestry lands and promised that miners themselves would be empowered to help build and maintain these roads through direct Government support.”
Addressing a large gathering ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections, President Ali reaffirmed the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) commitment to “practising national unity” through concrete action rather than rhetoric, contrasting his administration’s development agenda with what he described as the divisive politics of his opponents.
Ali further announced that the PPP/C Government would remove all remaining taxes on ATVs, lower taxes on four-door pickups, and eliminate taxes on outboard engines up to 150 horsepower, in addition to expanding access to affordable financing for small businesses in Bartica through a special development fund designed to reduce interest rates.

Puruni, Kurupukari to be bridged
He committed to major infrastructure upgrades such as the construction of the Kurupukari and Puruni bridges, a new ferry service, and the Sand Hill Road link, which together would open hundreds of thousands of acres for agriculture, forestry, and mining.
President Ali noted that the bridges will “cut down travel costs” and make the region more accessible.
Vehicles that need to cross at Puruni and Kurupukari are transported across the river on a large barge pulled by a boat, which is an outdated process.
Already, the country is witnessing the construction of the Demerara River Crossing – a bridge that will revolutionise travel between Regions Three and Four.
President Ali said the region will also benefit from the creation of a special development fund, “to ensure you have access to capital and your interest rate will go down”.
In the same vein, he outlined plans to deploy modern technology to reduce environmental risks in mining and forestry while introducing a comprehensive safety plan for miners in the hinterland.
“That is why we will invest with you to find the best and most appropriate technology to give you the maximum results in those industries that you explore. And mining and forestry and working in the hinterland is not only about taxes and equipment and land and roads and infrastructure and technology, but important to this is your safety, and we want to work with you, all the miners, on a comprehensive safety plan so when you’re in the hinterland, when you’re moving your gold, when you’re going to the market, we can ensure that you are kept safe and that your production is kept safe.”
He announced that street lights and CCTV are to be installed in Region Seven, telling the thousands of persons present Saturday that “You must be able to live in a secure environment.”
The installation of CCTV systems is part of the government’s nationwide Safe Country Project that enhances national security and crime-fighting capabilities.
“We are not hiding away from the biggest issues. This is not a party and a Government that shy away from talking about the biggest issues. We confront them, and we find solutions so that the people can continue to benefit,” the President outlined.
Beyond mining, the President stressed the need to reduce food imports into Region Seven, positioning Bartica as a supply hub for the mining and logging sectors while building an agricultural ecosystem that empowers single mothers, riverine communities, and Indigenous villages. This, he said, would create jobs, expand markets, and bring revenue directly into local communities.
The President also noted that the sound policies of his Government over the past five years have transformed the lives of citizens in every village of the country and decried those who would allow themselves to be bribed for their vote, saying that his Government practices inclusion with policies crafted for the benefit of the maximum number of Guyanese.
He told the crowd that his party will not “offer you $50,000 to wear a shirt and $10,000 to put up a flag and $50,000 to vote. We don’t do that, and whoever does that does not deserve your vote.”