THE Ministry of Business has invited interested investors to submit expressions of interest and business proposals for operating and managing the chip factory located on Leguan island in Region # 3.Business Minister Dominic Gaskin had stated in his contribution to the 2016 Budget Debate that “the Leguan Chip Factory requires an additional contract for a road and a bridge to gain access to the premises, and this will be completed by Government, so that by the end of the first half of the year, the factory can be operational and provide some benefit for the community”.

The Leguan Chip Factory was one of four projects (two chip factories and 2 call centres) put on hold last year pending a review under the billion-dollar Rural Development Fund (RDF). This project, initiated by the previous Government in 2014, will now be completed in 2016 with some modifications.

Budget 2016 provides $195M to complete the remaining works on the projects at Tuschen, Enmore and Leguan. Once completed and operationalised, these projects are expected to increase economic opportunities and capabilities of vulnerable groups within the regions, and create more than 300 jobs in the rural communities in which they are located.

Work is currently ongoing to complete the Tuschen and Enmore call centres, but the Business Ministry has heeded the advice of the Sea Defence Board not to proceed with constructing the chip factory in Wakenaam, because it was built on land deemed prone to flooding and erosion.

(GINA)