– Granger says could steer Guyana’s path to renewable energy

By Alva Solomon
BARTICA was yesterday enveloped in a festive atmosphere as the gateway to the country’s mineral-rich interior was officially declared Guyana’s newest town, with President David Granger trumping its potential to lead the country’s green revolution.Residents defied overcast weather conditions to converge in their thousands near the ferry stelling for the day’s proceedings, where they were joined by Ministers Joseph Harmon, Amna Ally, and

Ronald Bulkan; together with Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland and New Amsterdam Mayor Kurt Wynter.

Addressing the enthusiastic gathering, President Granger noted that he has always regarded the town as one of the “finest settlements in Guyana”, and he recalled the historical 1887 ordinance which was passed to make “the community a town.”

“What happened between 1887 and 2016 cannot be explained,” the President said, as he pointed out that Bartica has always deserved to be a town, but an error had prevented this realisation all the while.

The President told the gathering he was filled with emotion because the occasion was a moment to dazzle the rest of Guyana.

“(Bartica) has been known as the gateway to the hinterland, to gold, diamond and timber”, he said, noting that Bartica is now a capital town. “It is capital of a region that is larger than the Netherlands”, he explained.

He noted that the community is well laid out with avenues and streets, and possesses everything needed to be a regional capital, including essential facilities and services such as banks, a hospital and a police station, among others. “There is no reason why Bartica had to be held back so long”, the head of state opined.

He said that, in future, the town must not only lead its 15,000 residents, but the entire region.
He said the town has to lead the way in producing renewable energy, recycling, and solid waste management.

“Bartica is going to be a laboratory for Guyana’s green economy”, the President predicted.

He said he dreams of the rest of the country and foreigners visiting Bartica to view its examples of renewable energy, and noted that the country is moving towards producing cleaner energy.

He said the town must set a standard, and illustrate how Guyana can supply enough energy to offset her needs without depending on fossil fuel. He said the community must be the “motor to transform Guyana to a platform in green development”.

“Every street, every avenue will be surrounded by green,” he said as he recalled the launch of a tree campaign in the community last year end.

The Head-of-State also noted that the small benab at the Bartica airstrip must be replaced as the community unveils a municipal aerodrome in future.

He noted that the environment remains important to the area, and said he was happy to see Mayor Gifford Marshall and Deputy Mayor Kamal Persaud removing solid waste from the community and setting an example.

He expressed confidence in the freely elected council delivering the economic and other development which the residents of the town would be proud of.

The President also participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at First Avenue, and the morning’s event reached its climax when he and Mayor Marshall unveiled a plaque to illustrate the community’s township status amidst loud cheers and merriment.

Earlier in the day, President Granger presented a speedboat to the residents of the nearby community of Riverview, and he later visited the Bartica Hospital where the medical institution’s first neo-natal intensive care unit was unveiled.

He was expected to witness a hive of activities planned for the Bartica Community Centre ground last evening, and residents were already pouring into the ground during the afternoon yesterday, as Barticians celebrated their community achieving its township status.