President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday informed Linden residents of infrastructural and other developments in the town aimed at enhancing their livelihoods and gave assurances to vendors along the Winifred Gaskin Highway that government is prepared to assist with funding for a shopping centre when they submit a plan.
Jagdeo reiterated government’s position as vendors on the reserve had mistakenly believed that a shopping centre would have been built for them in Wismar. Recently, vendors met with the president after they had been given a 14-day removal notice by the Town Council. At a community meeting at One Mile, Linden the president said he wanted to ensure that the process for building the centre was transparent.
“If this is done I don’t want one man to hog the project including (Phillip) Bynoe, this must be beneficial to all of the people, and it must be fairly done, fairly allocated spaces in this mall.” Jagdeo noted that it will be a commercial project done on residents’ initiative and he pledged to assign a lawyer to advise the group as they draft the design before their next meeting with him in three weeks time. He also tasked CEO at the Linmine Secre-tariat, Horace James to work closely with the vendors to select a plot of land best suited to the project after they had requested that government provide a site for the facility.
The president had rescinded the removal notices and had granted vendors permission to continue their operations, without expanding. “I made it clear that in the next four years or so from now they may need to be moved because we would be needing the space to construct a much bigger road to accommodate the large trucks that would be coming through here when the road from Brazil to Linden is constructed,” he noted. During the visit, a follow-up to the most recent Cabinet meeting in the mining town, Jagdeo referred to the $330M that is being spent on infrastructural works in Region 10, including the repairing and building of several roads in and around Linden. He also said that the fibre optic cable currently being laid would create jobs.
“Here in Linden, the Government of Guyana, through its own budget, not through a loan, not through a grant, we are funding the laying of a fibre optic cable from Brazil, through Linden into Georgetown,” he said, adding that a node will be laid in Linden which will create jobs and have a positive impact on the call centres operating in the town. In addition government plans to buy 90, 000 net books which will be distributed to the poorest families countrywide.
The Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) has been accredited as a hub that would be responsible for training, which will boost the marketability of every Lindener’s ability to get a job. Jagdeo also mentioned other developments the community will benefit from including the establishment of the Education Broadcast Television Service, access to land, continued subsidy for electricity, the expansion of the water treatment network at a cost of $12M and the expansion of the bauxite industry through the production of additional products which is expected to provide about 500 additional jobs.
Prior to his meeting with residents at Wismar the president paid courtesy calls at the LEN and the Linden municipality. At LEN, he informed official Valerie Adams-Sharpe that steps are being fast-tracked to ensure that the board is installed and that the agency is functioning at its maximum, particularly the revolving fund arm.
The president also gave assurances to Linden municipality workers that steps will be taken to ensure that they are paid an outstanding $20M owed to them. He also said he was concerned about the municipality’s ability to generate sufficient income especially in the area of rates and taxes, and pledged to examine that process. Jagdeo was also shocked to learn that most workers attached to that agency are paid less than the minimum wage and he committed to inquire into that issue. “Even the janitor in the government system does not receive a salary below the minimum wage so we will definitely have to do something about that,” he said.
The president was also concerned about the robbery at the Regional Administration Treasury which has resulted in several teachers and other regional workers in the Berbice River not being able to receive their salaries to date. He also expressed disgust at the “drag foot” tactics being employed in executing a number of commitments he had made to the community during previous meetings in Linden. In this vein he made specific reference to the boat and engine that were promised to residents of Wiruni, Berbice River and for which funds had been released to acquire. The engine was reportedly bought and is being stored at the Regional Office and the boat is being stored in Georgetown.
Jagdeo also said funds had been released for the construction of a basketball court some years ago and he is shocked that it had not been built. “I understand that the contractor was paid half the money how long ago and yet nothing has been done to-date these are some of the things that I am fed up of. I can’t be making promises and releasing monies for projects and this is what is happening but I will deal with it,” he said. Residents were also given an opportunity to raise issues that concerned them during a short walk-about at the Mackenzie Market square.
