-Minister Walrond tells National Assembly

THE $117 million Belvedere Business Incubator Centre (BBIC) has been without occupants and equipment since its launch in February 2020, while the $1 billion Lethem Industrial Estate remains incomplete almost two years after its scheduled date of completion.

These revelations were made by Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, on Wednesday, during her contribution to the 2021 budget debate. According to reports, at least $543 million was allocated under the previous APNU+AFC government in 2018 for the two projects which were hailed as a big boost for creating opportunities for small businesses.

“The Belvedere incubator which [was] claimed to have [been] ‘launched’ had no equipment. The six pods were all unoccupied, the incubator had no manager or staff, and worst of all Mr. Speaker, the building was without electricity. However, there was a ceremony saying that the incubator was launched,” Minister Walrond stated.

After its launch in February 2020, the BBIC was scheduled to be operationalised by March of that year following the installation of equipment and hiring of staff. Walrond said that it was not until November 2020, after the PPP/C took office that the facility was finally provided with electricity. The minister informed that House that the equipment has been procured, and is expected to be delivered to the site shortly.

“We will then be able to truly and fully operationalise the incubator in a matter of months, and its facilities will be made available on an equitable non-discriminatory basis in an open and transparent manner. We estimate that around 120 jobs will be created through the projects that will utilise these facilities,” Walrond related.

Located in Belvedere Industrial Estate, Region Six, the BBIC was opened with the aim of nurturing micro and small businesses. The facility includes six pods with a multi-purpose room in the centre. The goal is to providing budding entrepreneurs with a facility to hone their practical and theoretical skills, and produce high quality products and services that can be marketed locally and exported in accordance with international standards.

Three of the pods are expected to be used to provide space for three small businesses to start up their operations. The business would be allowed to stay at the facility for three years, before they would need to move on to allow for another three businesses to be started. Aside from the space, the entrepreneurs are also expected to be offered training, marketing, consulting, organisation and management as well as legal, financial and other advisory services.

The remaining three pods are expected to house manufacturing equipment to provide manufacturing small businesses with a facility to produce their products at subsidised costs. As it pertains to the Lethem Industrial Estate which should have been completed in May 2019, Walrond said that this project was left incomplete.

“When we took office in August 2020, the Lethem Estate had no lessee, the construction works were still incomplete, and not a single piece of the equipment that was needed had been procured.” The Lethem facility is larger. It consists of 12 pods and a larger multi-purpose area.

Minister Walrond pointed out excerpts from the 2016 and 2019 Auditor General reports, which spoke of the state of the project. For works that were completed, the Auditor General’s 2016 report noted that substandard work was observed.

“As a result of poor supervision of the works, various sections of the finished road surface were not completed to the required thickness as per contract; and the carriageway and shoulders; however, our physical verification revealed that the thickness of the finished asphalt layer was inconsistent with variances ranging from areas. There were areas where the asphalt layer was spread very thin and the sub-base of the road could be seen through the aggregate in the asphalt mix,” that report read.

According to the report, some amount of corrective works were subsequently carried out. Some $100M has now been allocated in the 2021 budget for the procurement of equipment to operationalise and furnish the Lethem facility. According to the minister, Expression of Interests (EoIs) for the leasing of plots at the estate were already published, applications were received and are currently under review.

“We will soon see the Lethem Industrial Estate and Incubator serving its intended purpose and all Guyanese without regard to class, race, gender, orientation or whatever lines they may come up with to divide us, will have a fair opportunity from this inclusive government to benefit,” Minister Walrond said.