–with housing development, stadium, other transformational projects underway

A STADIUM, a hotel, creation of a housing development, the construction of a call centre and a business centre for persons living with disabilities are among the planned infrastructural works that will see well over $10 billion of investments being injected into Palmyra, Region Six.

This was according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali as he discussed planned developments during a visit to the East Berbice-Corentyne area on Thursday evening.

The Head of State is currently in the region for a two-day Office of the President outreach at State House, New Amsterdam.

“In Palmyra alone, when you look at the public-private investment this year, very easily you will see investments well in excess of $10 billion in this area. Imagine what that could do for the local economy and the regional economy here,” the President said.

Already under construction, the call centre and business centre for PWD are scheduled to be completed by March this year, while over 700 houses are planned for the housing development, which will include a mix of young professionals, moderate and low-income houses.

Approximately $7 billion is expected to be spent to build the houses, while another $3 billion is expected to be invested in other infrastructure. And that is only on part of the government’s investment.

The stadium is expected to be completed at least by the end of 2025, and to have a minimum seating capacity of 10,000, with the possibility of a motor-racing track on its outskirts.

An entire ecosystem is being built out around the stadium, with it all being part of an important urban hub that will form part of the overall transformative trajectory that the country is on, with development in every region.

The development taking place in Palmyra is part of a public-private sector mix of investments.

President Ali firmly believes that the private sector is being encouraged to invest because of the government’s development policy that is creating the conditions for greater profit margins in the medium and long-term future.

“It’s a combination of confidence in our planning the type of organisation and ubanisation that is taking place; the transformative agenda of the government, and their own conviction of where the country is going,” President Ali said, adding: “I don’t want to talk for them, but I think that must be a part of what is driving the decision-making.”

Addressing development in the region, Vice- President of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Ryan Alexander said that the planned progress for the Palmyra area, and Region Six on a whole, has done wonders for breathing life back into the communities.

Not too long ago, many of the communities were left economically decimated by the closure of the Rose Hall and Skeldon sugar estates under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government.

According to Alexander, it is not just in the Berbice area that business has been reinvigorated and is burgeoning.

“What we hear from everybody in the different regions is that things are moving; things are moving from where it was and that is significant for us. There is tremendous opportunity; different sectors are being mobilised,” Alexander shared.