The announcement of a $500M development plan by the government for the Diamond /Housing Scheme represents yet another step to improve the living standards of the Guyanese people by providing improved infrastructure and facilities.

It is noteworthy that this plan is a collaborative one in partnership with the private sector which has been a characteristic evident in the developmental process of this country in recent years.

The Ministry of Housing in partnership with the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development and Public Works, has embarked on a programme for the consolidation of infrastructure in areas of massive development in the Diamond-Grove housing scheme, East Bank Demerara., one of the fastest growing and largest housing areas in the country, with a population of about 40, 000 people.

Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali, Minister of Local Government, Kellawan Lall and Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn and private stakeholders met Friday at the Housing Ministry to discuss a $500M plan to change the landscape of the housing scheme, which is soon to become a town.

The meeting discussed measures that could be implemented to reduce chaos at the entrance of the housing scheme which tends to create hazards. The Ministries are hoping to decrease congestion, reduce risks for the travelling public and improve traffic safety.

With respect to the latter it is a most welcome development as traffic congestion and traffic safety has become one of our most severe problems in recent years as growing numbers of people acquire their own vehicles.

Under the development plan three banks, (Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, Republic Bank and Citizens Bank), a gas station, a shopping mall, a parking lot, a market and another access road are proposed for the area.

This is in addition to existing facilities including a modern secondary school, the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital and a police station in the area.

The housing sector under the current government undoubtedly has boomed with scores of new housing areas springing up across the country from the Rupununi to the Corentyne. But this has not happened by accident, rather it has come about because of the sound policies of the government and its unswerving commitment to improving the welfare and living standards of all the people of this wonderful country.

And despite what the detractors of the government may try to say, on an almost daily basis their venom has to be dumped into the garbage bin because progress is being made not only in the housing sector but in every sector. Of course the pace of development varies among the sectors because of a complexity of factors including financial resources and logistics, but surely not because of a lack of commitment by the government.

The history of this country will show that political parties have always stacked up against the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) but fortunately they have all been defeated or destroyed not because of any divine intervention or miracle but simply because the masses have stood firmly behind it. And this has been so because the party from its inception has been on the side of the poor, disadvantaged and downtrodden. In fact, it was their plight which formed the womb of the party.

No one would deny that the party has not made mistakes in its quest to develop this country and improve the lives of its people but they were made out of sincerity and a commitment to development rather than lust for power, opportunism and the intention to plunder.

Anyone with an objective mind who has travelled the length and breadth of this country would attest to the strides that have been under this government.

However, no one must run away with the impression that everything is perfect and rosy. There are indeed many problems to be fixed but advanced development is a lengthy and difficult process and those who like to compare Guyana with advanced countries should rethink their position as the latter took centuries to be where they are today. It simply did not happen overnight.