Bartica, in Region Seven, and Lethem, in Region Nine, are among four interior communities that will be prepared for township status within the next year, according to Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan.
Mabaruma, in Region One, and Mahdia, in Region Eight, are the other communities that will be upgraded to township status, Bulkan told the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Before and during the recent elections campaign, President David Granger had promised the development of the communities into townships.
A GINA report yesterday said the Ministry of Communities will be responsible for preparing the four communities for township status. Currently, there are six towns: Georgetown, the capital, in Region Four; New Amsterdam, Corriverton and Rose Hall in Region Six; Anna Regina in Region Two; and Linden in Region Ten.
Bulkan was reported as saying the new towns would each have its own mayor and councillors. The towns would also be providing all the services that other municipalities offer, including governmental services such as provision of passports and driver’s licences, thereby offering relief to residents who now have to travel to Georgetown to access such services, he further said.
The GINA report added that Bulkan expects that the four new towns would be operational by the time Guyana observes its 50th independence anniversary on May 26th, 2016.
