ON Wednesday contracts totalling US$15.5M were signed to improve the water supply system in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), through the Linden Water Supply Rehabilitation Programme, which will bring direct benefits to close to 30,000 residents there.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on behalf of the Government of Guyana and Country Representative for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Marco Nicola, signed the agreements in the presence of the Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali in Mackenzie, Linden.
The programme will entail a total modernisation of the water distribution system in the region and will benefit thousands of residents, including those in the new housing schemes at Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc, this component is valued at $12.3M.
In addition, the Government of Guyana and the IDB signed a US$3M agreement for improvements in the wastewater sector through the establishment of a Wastewater Revolving Fund, which will allow for the financing of a variety of wastewater solutions through public and private channels.
This is another demonstration of the government’s commitment to improve potable water supply across the country dispelling the notion by some that it is making empty promises. Arguably many of these projects take a long time to come on stream but this is not because the government is procrastinating. On the contrary the delays are mostly caused because such projects are mainly funded by foreign institutions and the paper work is a tedious and prolonged one.
What is also significant about this project is the fact that it nails the lie being peddled by some that the government is only pushing development in its own constituencies, but all and sundry know that historically Linden has always been under the control of the main opposition party, even though the ruling party has made significant inroads there. Therefore, the argument about the government neglecting Linden has been debunked once again.
Notably too the project has been carved out of a consultative process as Ali explained that, as the project was started with the people and was built with the people; it is only fair that the stakeholders return to the people to witness the signing of the agreements for the commencement of the project.
In fact, this government has invested heavily in Linden since its assumption to office in 1992 in order to help bail out the mining town out of its many problems since the virtual collapse of the bauxite industry under the PNC government.
Government has been subsidizing electricity at over $1 billion annually, while new schools, housing schemes,  roads and a state of the art hospital have been built, while under LEAP hundreds of micro and medium size businesses have been established. There have also been several huge investments in the forestry sector which has helped to alleviate the unemployment problem.
With respect to water, according to Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali, since 2006 in the Water Sector alone, we have invested more than $700M not including the new project, an investment of $18,000 for every person living in Linden for water alone.”
Certainly no one can deny that there are still difficulties and challenges in the mining town but equally no one can deny that generally living conditions have significantly improved.
It is therefore not coincidental that the top National Grade Six student came from Linden and two of his colleagues were also in the top ten.