THE aesthetics at the Broomes Airfield in the North West District town of Mabaruma has been upgraded and the town council is eagerly anticipating an upgrade which would enable connectivity for regional flights from destinations such as Trinidad and Tobago.
This was disclosed on Friday afternoon when Mayor of Mabaruma, Henry Smith, addressed a gathering during the launch of a public awareness and stakeholder education project on the lawns of the Public Buildings.

As he spoke of the developments in Mabaruma since it became a town following the 2016 Local Government Elections (LGE), Smith said that the car park at the airfield has been upgraded through the execution of concrete works while the improved road network connecting the airstrip with the town has positively impacted the community.
“Our neighbor, Trinidad, is just 17 minutes of flying time away from the booming town of Mabaruma,” Smith said as he made the council’s case for regional flights from Caribbean destinations.

He said that the link can be the perfect boost for marketing the region’s economic potential such as in the agricultural sector.
As regards the development of the town, he said that there is more room for effective consultation and collaboration between the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the town council. “Maybe some additional interactive educational sessions would help in the understanding of the specific roles as they should apply,”he said. He added that this can enhance the system of local democracy within the town.

“For a growing town, we need the assistance of technical expertise to conduct relevant training sessions in an effort towards our realizing our goals of pursuing and attaining a green economy, “he said.
Smith is convinced that over 75% of the town’s population is buying into the concept of a green economy.

In 2016, after the town was established, there were challenges, Smith said and he noted that there were some success over time.
Smith said that, at the time, the system of governance was new to the region. “But the process of acceptance to this change gained momentum with the passage of time,” he asserted.

He said that depite the challenges at the level of the council, including absenteeism from statutory council meetings, the management team was able to ensure that projects were completed in the six constituencies. Smith said this was a clear indication that levels of cohesion were achieved, especially in the approved processes for projects geared at the development of the town.