THE coastal regions of Essequibo Islands/West Demerara (Region 3), Demerara/Mahaica (Region 4) and Mahaica/Berbice (Region 5) do not possess capital towns, but over the next three years, regional towns are expected to be unveiled in these coastal administrative regions.This is according to President David Granger, who told a gathering at the commissioning of the supply boat/spill response vessel of construction firm GAICO Construction and Contracting Services on Friday: “This is something we will rectify over the next three years.”

The President has said that each administrative region must have a regional capital, and the towns would trigger entrepreneurial activity.
Entrepreneurship, he said, rests on four pillars: information, infrastructure, investment and innovation.
He said that while it has been strengthening the four pillars of entrepreneurship over the past several months, Government has also embarked on establishment of these towns this year in the hinterland: Mabaruma, Bartica, Lethem; and there are plans in the making to transform the Region Eight community of Mahdia into a town.

“These towns are important; they are to become the hubs of population, hubs of public services and hubs of economic growth”, he noted.

The President said Government is keen on the development of the country’s ten administrative regions. With revitalisation of local democracy in the form of Local Government Elections (LGE) this year, the Head of State noted, towns are expected to intensify links to new markets within the country and beyond the Caribbean region.

He said the development of a single economy and perfecting markets will lead to greater access to markets for local goods and services, and to investments.

Having toured the length and breadth of Guyana, President Granger, a historian, is of the view that every town in Guyana has economic potential to open factories, encourage investment, and provide employment for people living in those areas.

Following the March 18 LGE polls held earlier this year, Bartica and Lethem were officially commissioned as towns, while Mabaruma in the North West District awaits its official commissioning, being delayed by the split-results that town received at the polls.

Following the March 18 polls, President Granger reminded elected representatives that the towns will serve as administrative centres which they need to further develop.