There is a growing frustration among residents of Mahdia over the lack of basic services in the Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) community. There are no banks, ATMs, Guyana Revenue Authority branch, or insurance company forcing residents to travel long distances to access these services.
Many residents, particularly those involved in small-scale mining, voiced their frustrations to this newspaper during a recent visit to the area. Locals complained that they have to leave Mahdia for almost any official business, adding significant financial and logistical burdens to their daily lives.
One concern raised by many residents is the lack of facilities for obtaining a driver’s licence. One woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I got a scooter to get about the place and it’s like I’m working to pay the police. The police know I don’t have a licence, and every time they stop me, they collect my bike, telling me I must pay $40,000. After I pay, they give me the bike back, but when they want money again, they stop me again.”
The woman explained that in order to get a driver’s licence, residents must travel to Georgetown, a journey that involves more than just the price of the trip. It costs roughly $12,000 to travel from Mahdia to the capital, with additional expenses for accommodation, meals, and living costs while in Georgetown. For many, this is simply not a viable option, especially given the challenges of managing work in the mining sector.
The frustration surrounding this issue is echoed by other Mahdia residents, who feel that the area’s infrastructure is not evolving in line with its needs. For a mining community that is heavily dependent on the small-scale mining industry, the lack of local services puts an unnecessary strain on its residents. “We have to leave Mahdia just to do anything that involves the government. It’s not like we have a choice, we need these services, but we have to travel miles just to access them,” one resident stated.
Beyond the transportation and financial costs of travelling to Georgetown for simple services, the situation also highlights deeper concerns about equity and access to government services. Mahdia, like many other remote mining communities, faces particular challenges, not only in obtaining licences but in dealing with the broader range of bureaucratic hurdles that can come with small-scale mining. They must travel far from home to handle tax or business matters, which only adds to their frustration.
Without banks or ATMs in Mahdia, residents and business owners are forced to go to Linden or even Georgetown to carry out financial transactions, creating further economic strain for people who are already dealing with the high costs associated with small-scale mining.
The growing dissatisfaction among Mahdia’s residents has raised concerns about the community’s long-term development and its ability to support a growing population. Many locals are calling on the government to address these gaps in services and invest in infrastructure that can meet the needs of a community that plays a crucial role in the nation’s mining sector.