Lethem land distribution will be done differently now, according to President Bharrat Jagdeo and he also assured the community that he recognized the need for a better electricity supply and improved airstrip.
During a visit for last weekend’s rodeo, he also noted that a $600M project to upgrade the road that links Lethem to the coastland is underway with government keen on the prospects of the community as a major economic hub.
The road that leads to the community close to the border with Brazil has oftentimes deteriorated severely during the rainy season and there have been many calls for its upgrade. Up to last week, travelers to the Rupununi Rodeo had bemoaned the state of the critical artery in the face of damage to a key bridge that halted traffic for hours.
Jadgeo had flown into the community on Friday and told members of the Rupununi Chamber of Commence and Industry (RCCI) of the infrastructure project during a meeting with them. According to the Government Information Agency (GINA) the investment includes an overhaul of the main road to Lethem and the other road connecting Regions Eight and Nine. Four different contractors are presently working on the project and renovation of all the bridges on the trail is also on the cards, GINA reported. Jagdeo explained that the project will also improve the lives of Amerindians in the Region who have been facing challenges as a result of the absence of such services, GINA said.
In his meeting with the RCCI at the Savannah Inn in Lethem, Jagdeo spoke of the significant contributions the business community there has made to that region as well as government’s plan to encourage and fast track the development process. “Don’t think for one moment that you are neglected. This area is very important to us: one because for economic reasons and second because we are committed to bringing better benefit to people living in the outlying areas”, the president was quoted as saying.
GINA said that Jagdeo spoke optimistically about the role Lethem will play in the national economy beginning with its proximity to Brazil and its potential as a net producer. With the recent trade agreement with Brazil, government is now brainstorming expansion in the scope of the agreement by increasing the list of products eligible to enter the Brazilian market.
However, Jagdeo said, for the region to reach a pinnacle, some challenges must be addressed including electricity woes. “We have to resolve the electricity problem at a scale that is larger than we have now and much more reliable…telecommunications are fairly good but power needs to be fixed and we have to work towards that”, the President said. In raising issues of importance to them, the private sector members cited security for businesses and floated the idea of a community policing group.
GINA reported too that the idea of a better airstrip is also being explored as the number of flights to the community has been increasing.
GINA reported Private Sector Commission member, Gerry Gouveia as suggesting that the areas to be addressed should include fencing, customs and immigration, security allocation for hangars, and passenger handling. He said that the increasing number of flights is evidence of the increase in economic development in Lethem.
Meantime, internet services in Lethem are limited but with the coming of the fibre optic cable, bandwidth will be cheaper and more reliable, GINA said. The President told the meeting that Lethem will be included in the list of communities to benefit from the one laptop per child project. Additionally, villages in the Rupununi will be receiving the recently launched learning channel and Jagdeo highlighted its importance to the youth population in the region.
With the search still on for oil and gas and the interest by investors to set up small refineries in Guyana, the President told the private sector to look forward to that industry as a new growth pole for Guyana and the spin-off benefits that will coincide.
GINA said that the acquisition of land in Lethem has become a key attraction for many developers because of the region’s potential but Jagdeo said the process of distribution will be done carefully, giving first preference to those willing to make effective use of land. “You are going to find that not every application that comes to us, we’re just going to hand over the land just like that because someone promises a pie in the sky. This time we’re resolved to doing things differently”, the President said.
GINA said that Chairman of Region Nine, Clarendo Lucas commended the respect which the administration has shown to the private sector and alluded to the impressive and rapid way in which the commercial zone has been developing. Additionally, the move by government to reduce the corporate tax from 45 to 40 percent and the raising of the income tax threshold were also given the thumbs up from the private sector, GINA reported.
