Introduction:
Yesterday the Takutu Bridge was finally officially opened. The gift by the Brazilian people must not be taken lightly. Although it has great benefits to the Brazilians, the expectation is that we the citizens of Guyana must take this opportunity and create new industries that will result in jobs for our people.
Our government has resisted this venture for many years. In the 2009 Budget, there was no mention of any money going towards the road from Lethem to Linden and not even for any major development in the region. In the budget debate, no discussion took place on even laying down tracks for a freight train. The President had said in the past that the road was not economically feasible. We are pleased to see the turnaround by the administration and we intend to ensure the 2010 budget allocates the appropriate funds to see the plan that many of us have proposed for years finally come to fruition. We must ensure that towns such as Linden and Lethem become the hub for these exciting economic activities. Any plan to leave Linden out of this zone will be criminal.
Recently, to get out of a short economic recession the Brazilian government reduced taxes on new cars, and passed tax breaks on companies and individuals. We have seen no tax relief or programmes from our government to benefit us the citizens.
The benefits:
We must continue to energize the discussions with the Brazilian government and private sector on areas of mutual interest. Brazil needs the transportation, we need the energy, and we need the economics of the trade. After yesterday, our government needs to do the follow-up, we need to show we mean business and this needs to be reflected in Budget 2010. We must re-address the 2009 budget in Parliament to ensure that programmes that can be funded by offsets are debated.
After the great words yesterday, we the citizens must be part of the transformation of our economy. Our nation must become a transshipment point for Brazil and Eastern Venezuela. Cross-border development is vital for Guyana’s growth and future economic expansion. I have put in the possibilities once again. We want to see the new cities, villages and towns cropping up along the road to Brazil; construction jobs for hotels, housing, roads and bridges; transportation jobs in aviation, shipping and hauling; service sector jobs. There will be new areas for jobs in the financial services from banking, trade and commerce and telecommunications and IT jobs in all sectors of society.
We have advocated for Lethem to become a Free Enterprise Zone as the Brazilian government has done across the border in Bom Fin. We tend to operate at a very slow pace; these things should have already been in place. Lethem must be given priority by the Guyana government in developing infrastructure, the energy grid, and in negotiations with the Brazilian government. We must invest into micro-loans on developing the cashews and peanut industry in surrounding areas. I have written that the Lethem airport that connects it to the capital, Georgetown must be upgraded into a modern airport to help open up the south Rupununi for relocation of citizens who want to get off the coastal plane. We have to work at a faster pace before we get run over.
Conclusion:
As we work towards this exciting connection with Brazil, today we are faced with many key problems that must be addressed. Guyana’s President begs countries for debt relief, why don’t we get debt relief right here in our country? We pay the highest taxes in the region, yet our garbage is not picked up, rice farms lack water because the drainage is not maintained, and duties on vehicles are outrageous.
We must re-address our national development strategy and create a comprehensive economic plan for our nation, one that focuses first on its citizens, and that incorporates a low carbon development path. As we debate the paving of the road, the best choices of transport between the two countries at this point may be the railway. A railway connecting Manaus to Boa Vista and Georgetown will allow for the transportation of products. The point is to get to the answer and get it done.
Until next time “Roop”
Send comments to peter.ramsaroop@gmail.com
