On the eve of Guyana’s 55th Independence Anni-versary President Irfaan Ali has reiterated his government’s plans for a new city further inland.
“We need to build new communities further inland to spread our population; reduce prices for land and housing and cease traffic congestion. We must use the land space, with which we have been blessed, to create new and improved living conditions new areas of growth and development and new population centres,” he told those gathered at the Umana Yana last evening for this year’s flag-raising event.
Ali said that his government will establish a new city and incentivize the private sector as well as persons wishing to own their own homes to locate in this new hub with major facilities provided by central government.
This is the third reference Ali has made in recent months to the “Silica City” first announced in 2013.
Speaking at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) 25th Annual Awards Ceremony at the Baridi Benab, State House in December, Ali announced that discussions had been initiated on having a new area – a secondary city – developed.
“We are exploring this opportunity along the new four-lane highway because we are already seeing the pressure on the city itself,” he said.
Reference to the project was also made during his February address to the National Assembly.
In 2013, Ali, then Minister of Housing had announced during the fourth annual building and construction exposition that Silica City would be located amid 500 acres of land to be developed for housing along the Linden/ Soesdyke highway.
“This is an exciting time with exciting prospects…every person has real economic opportunities to grow and develop. Dream big your government will support those dream,” he declared last evening while expressing gratitude to those who in the course of Guyana’s independence history have contributed immensely to the social and economic development of the country.
The President said that as a sign of respect for these contributions to Guyana and the wider global society these persons will be honoured through National Awards for their contributions.
These awards, he said, will be announced soon.
