PRESIDENTIAL Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic
(PPP/C), Irfaan Ali has promised that new investments will be coming to
Region Six once the party regains power after the March 2 elections.

Speaking to supporters at a rally in Main Street, New Amsterdam on Monday evening, Ali said some of the investments include the deep-water harbour project, bridging of the Corentyne River and making New Amsterdam a business hub.

He posited that these plans will ignite a new set of growth and job creation for the people in New Amsterdam and Region Six.

“We must invest in a deep-water port in Region Six and we will be doing
it, let the search be over, the investment will come to Region Six. The
building of a deep-water port and the bridging of the Corentyne River
are two massive pieces of infrastructure that will transport, ignite
and excite the economy of Region Six. You will see here the expansion of
commerce because you will have container traffic , the town will become a logistics hub, you will have new businesses and opportunities in shipping, marketing, technical services, hotel, entertainment, logistics insurance, brokerage, finance services, warehousing,” he said.

Ali noted that these projects will help create jobs in the region but training is required. He explained the PPP/C will provide training and certification so that youths can access jobs.

“These are areas that will enable new opportunities but for us to
ensure you benefit from these areas, we have to do a few things unlike
this government – we have to prepare you for the opportunities that
are coming. We have to ensure that the young people are trained; they
have the certification to ensure that they have the knowledge; we have
to ensure that we give the private sector the incentives so they will
get expanded businesses and prepare for the opportunity that will come
their way.”

He added that the PPP/C will also provide government services in
the region as well as build a state-of-the art multi-purpose sporting
facility to attract international sports, especially cricket. He further mentioned that the PPP/C will seek investments in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to provide more job opportunities for youths.

Some of the plans outlined by Ali have already started under the
coalition government. The decentralisation of the major services such
as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Passport offices are already functional in Region Six.

A synthetic track and field facility is under construction a short distance from where the PPP/C’s meeting was held while the Board of Industrial Training has been leading the way nationally with several training programmes for persons of all ages.

The delivery of health services, creation of new jobs, implementation
of higher pension, free tertiary education, reversal of several taxes
and cash grants for students were also promised by the PPP.