The importance that infrastructure plays in people’s everyday lives is often taken

for granted, though it is one of the biggest issues that governments across the globe need to address in their public policies.
Infrastructure investment in the development of communications, IT, roads, schools, ports and hospitals is important to both economic development and quality of life. Failure to invest means a failure to sustain and develop our social and economic well-being.
In this context, the importance of the Linden/Lethem road to Guyana’s economic development cannot be over emphasised.
Apart from helping to unleash the agricultural and manufacturing potential of Region 9, and boosting trade between Guyana and Brazil, the Linden/Lethem road will also play a pivotal role in  helping to facilitate Guyana as the gateway to South America and integration among the countries of the South American continent.
Guyana, because of its strategic, geographic location and being the only English-speaking country in South America, has long been identified as the bridge between Asia/Africa/Caribbean and South America and to truly realise this, the Linden/Lethem road is vital.
But the building of the Linden/Lethem road will not bring only direct economic and trade benefits; it would also open a new vista of opportunities for the opening up of various businesses including restaurants, motor vehicle servicing centres, fuel stations, etc, and of course it will also help to boost tourism.
This will, in turn, create and diversify employment opportunities for the residents of the communities along the route.
Linden, which has a large population, but limited employment opportunities, will definitely be a beneficiary when this road is completed.
In addition, the Rupununi has a huge potential for agricultural production, but this potential has been hindered by logistical and transportation problems. Consequently, the unleashing of this potential has suffered. Therefore, when this road becomes a reality, this huge agricultural potential will be given a chance to fructify.
On the other hand, residents of communities along the route will be able to access goods and services, which are unavailable to them, in a more timely manner and at a much lower cost.
Against this backdrop, the recent signing of an MoU between Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and  the Brazilian Minister of External Relations, Mr. Antonio Patriota on the  establishment  a ‘Working Group on Infrastructure’, which will be  considering the Linden-Lethem Road, a port and hydro-electric projects, is most welcome, as they would now pave the way for the construction of the Linden/Lethem road.
Ms. Rodrigues-Birkett  noted that for many years Guyana and Brazil  have been discussing physical integration and the completion of the Takutu River Bridge,which is a direct result of these discussions.
“However, to fully realise the trade potential it is imperative that the road be upgraded,” she declared, adding that the road will benefit both countries as the northern part of Brazil in particular will have a shorter access route to the Atlantic Ocean.
Like Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, we are also optimistically confident that the gestation period for the Linden/Lethem road project will be much shorter than that of the Takutu Bridge.