BRINGING with them their concerns about taxes and where they see Linden headed, residents of Amelia’s Ward on Sunday afternoon came out in their numbers to a ministerial outreach featuring Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordan, and Minister of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Ms Valarie Patterson.

Both ministers shared what is in store for Linden, while simultaneously rendering solutions and answers to questions that were being thrown at them. Joining them were Regional Members of Parliament, Messrs Jermaine Figueira and Audwin Rutherford; Deputy Director of the Community Development Council (CDC), Ms Sandra Adams; and regional and municipal councillors. Minister Jordan, who was the guest speaker, after outlining some of the strides taken by his two-year-old government in an effort to bring all Guyanese the promised “good life”, bluntly told Lindeners that he is not happy with the way things are in the municipality, and encouraged the residents to let their voices be heard for their betterment.

“I need to hear from you; don’t just remain silent, Linden,” he said. “I want to see more than what I have been seeing over the last few years; you more than anybody else in this country know what pain is all about.

“Linden got some of the strongest people I know, but you need to let that show; you will get nothing if you sit on your ‘fanny’ and not get up and get.”

He suggested they not wait on local government legislation to get cracking. “Begin to organise, whether individually or collectively! Get involved in business, otherwise this oil, like all the gold, will pass you by!

Further goading the community into action, Minister Jordan said: “I heard somebody say, ‘Linden is the gateway.’ Well, Linden doesn’t look like no gateway to me! A gateway can’t be a dilapidated, run down place; all the gold and the wealth coming out, passing you by. You got to do better than that!”

READY TO HELP
He said he is ready to support Linden in every way possible, especially in the area of value-added production, but he would strongly encourage that they think seriously about entrepreneurship.

One resident, perhaps inspired by the dressing down, suggested that investing in a processing and packaging plant in Linden would do well to create employment and increase the tax base.

“The people in Linden can plant fast-crop things the sand can take, like pineapple, passion fruit, pumpkin, legumes and things of such nature,” the resident said.

Minister Jordan concurred, saying it is the very approach he has been taking and

will be supporting. “I am prepared, if somebody can prepare the project document and so on,” he said, adding: “We can find some financing to support any private sector individuals who can get involved, with concessions and tax holidays and so, once you make the move.”

At this, Ms Adams revealed that she is currently working with CDCs in Linden on a project involving the packaging of ready-to-cook meat and vegetables.

“Women who are working want to get home to cook,” she said, adding:
“It is easy to pick up a package of vegetables already cut and ready to cook; a package with meat already seasoned, cut up and ready to cook.”

Minister Jordan told residents that he is currently working with the World Bank to secure funding for the resurfacing of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, and that, hopefully, it will also allow for lighting to be installed.

He also spoke of the British grant and funding from the Caribbean Development Bank, which will allow for the commencement of the first phase of the Linden to Lethem road.

He said he will be visiting the Islamic Development Bank later in the week to engage them on funding for completion of the road, which will properly position Linden to become the gateway to the interior.

TAX CONCERNS
Some residents seized the opportunity to voice their concerns about the implementation of taxes in the 2017 Budget and how it is affecting Lindeners.

One Ms Esther Benjamin spoke of the subsidies that were taken away from pensioners’ light and water bills.

“They are just getting the $20, 000,” she said, adding: “Say a pensioner is living on that; he or she has to pay for light and water from that $20, 000.”

She also spoke out against the taxing of private school education, which, she said, is affecting her as a parent. “For me, I see it as a discrimination,” she said, adding:
“We are all parents paying tax for our children in this country. Why should you tax the private school, when the private school is being monitored by the same education system?

“Why doesn’t the government tax the private school themselves, instead of the parents?”
Another resident, one Mr. Wayne Kitt , asked about employees not being paid a return on their taxes by the Guyana Revenue Authority when they make their annual submissions. He said he finds the system grossly unfair, since the GRA wastes no time in collecting its money.
Minister Jordan, when he could get a word in, asked residents to be patient with the government, since it has made overwhelming progress in the less than two years it has been in office despite facing severe challenges.