MORE than 30,000 residents of the Diamond Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Demerara will now benefit from a newly constructed market tarmac in the area. This government initiative, undertaken by the Local Government Ministry, will see more than 150 persons befitting from job creation.
According to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganga Persaud, the tarmac, which was yesterday handed over to the Golden Grove/Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council was constructed at a cost of $24,499,134 by Khemrajnauth Construction Limited.
The tarmac project was a two year initiative and while it has been completed it is not in full use as yet. The tarmac also has several sanitary blocks.
The minster speaking at the handing over said that the People’s Progressive Party government, in its quest to further enhance orderliness in communities across Guyana, took a deliberate decision to construct tarmacs across the coastland with a view to having certain commercial as well as sporting activities facilitated in an orderly manner.
Minster Persaud said some other tarmacs were constructed already, while others are at varying stages of completion.
“The government thought that we should immediately seek to hand over these tarmacs to the NDCs so that they can continue to put in place the required facilities to allow the tarmacs to become fully operational,”  Persaud stated.
The new tarmac is 31,340 square feet of asphaltic surface, and is intended to accommodate 150 and provide a space for community based activities.
Minister Persaud said that the ministry has provided the NDC with guidelines to establish a management committee to work in collaboration with the council to properly manage the tarmac.
“This is something that would be undertaken this year …committee members have been advised and I want to commend those persons who have volunteered to be part of the management committee, ” he said.
He stated that in light of some recent issues with vehicle owners using the tarmacs to do their business, systems would be put in place to regularize the use of tarmacs.
While the tarmacs remain the property of the government, the NDC has been given the authority to operate the market place according to their rules and regulations.
He explained that in the past there have been some difficulties with management committees taking over similar centres, and as such a decision was taken to give full authority to the NDCs.
In addition, the tarmacs will be part of the NDC extended revenue base, and so they will seek to operate the tarmac to bring a revenue flow into council to assist in their upkeep and development.