Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin has expressed satisfaction with the pace of works being conducted on the development of the Industrial Estate at Lethem, South Rupununi, Region Nine.
According to a press release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), there had been a decline in the pace of works a few months ago but following a site visit by the consulting engineer, issues were ironed out and the works, including roads, culverts and drainage, are almost back on original schedule. The industrial site, built on the outskirts of Lethem, will be a source of employment for the community and also a business incubator with immediate impact for the region, according to Gaskin, who conducted a recent site visit.
“An incubator needs to incubate (develop) and then you move on and other persons come in and have a chance at inclusivity and keeps it objective which is not to keep a business at one level but to propel it into higher category of businesses,” Minister Gaskin was quoted as saying in the DPI release. He explained that the plan is to create an industrial hub for the entire Region Nine and the huge market to the south, making it an attractive investment prospect for both local and Brazilian investors, especially in the agriculture sector. Gaskin further added that the government is looking to tie agriculture with the processing of products and other support services to an export strategy, which is being developed.
According to the DPI release, the Industrial Estate was scheduled to be completed this year but had to be reviewed because of haphazard work, and also, it had not initially catered for small businesses. In the 2016 budget, $212 million was allocated for the development and repair of the industrial estates at Belvedere and Lethem.
