Dear Editor,
Your Stabroek Business Editorial of January 11, 2008 would have been both timely and informative for persons not familiar with issues relating to the Takutu Bridge. The final sentence in that editorial mirrors my own observations regarding this major project – “And given the level of socio-economic importance of the road link, it is worth making the point – again- about the importance of Guyana being ready for this development.”
As a resident of Lethem, I see little to convince me that the government is serious enough about this particular project. In two or three months when the bridge will have been completed, Brazil-ians will cross the border to find an area not yet designated a town, in which household garbage had not been collected in many months. They would see litter strewn all along the parapets and the roads would still be unpaved. They would see the prevailing dust choking pedestrians and causing many respiratory problems among residents. They would witness sheep, goats, pigs and horses roaming the streets at will.
Brazilians would have to get accustomed to having no water in the mains either for seventeen hours or more a day, or in some areas not at all. They would experience no electricity for six hours a day and be told that the Guyana Government had put the onus for fixing the Moco Moco hydro facility on the private sector. Finally, they would be astonished to hear that Por-tuguese is not being taught in schools in the Rupununi.
Brazil on the other hand is way ahead of us in Bon Fim. English is a compulsory language at secondary school level, and there are even classes that benefit Guyanese who want to learn Portuguese. Their Customs and Immigra-tion buildings have been completed (ours are not), their main roads are paved, they have a regular garbage collection service, 24-hour electricity and a steady water supply, and businessmen have already been taught tourism awareness. Argue this and you will be told that Brazil is a richer country so what do you expect.
I seem to remember the President saying that the road to Lethem was not a financially feasible project, and that business investments along the roadway should precede and determine road development. It seems that this strange economic logic might be the obstacle to accelerated development in the Rupununi in the near future.
Yours faithfully,
Clairmont Lye