-gov’t pushing massive development in Berbice county
-$400M in major highways being built, more opportunities being unlocked  
-Jagdeo says as gov’t rekindles regions’ economy

THE county of Berbice is now on the cusp of a massive economic transformation, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has said.

The General Secretary, at his weekly news conference on Thursday, told reporters that the government was making significant investments in the region with the aim of rekindling the local economy after it was stifled by strenuous policies implemented by the previous A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) administration.

In fact, Dr Jagdeo noted that the government has outlined a development for every region across the country.
“That region was dying under APNU; it was dying because they sent home over 4000 sugar workers from Berbice alone and 7000 across the country. Sugar was the biggest source of disposable income.”
According to Jagdeo, when the then government removed the region’s primary source of disposable income, all livelihoods in the region had suffered.
“People who had shops in New Amsterdam, or the vendors, the taxi people, the hairdresser, everyone, [their] disposable income was cut significantly in Berbice and that was why it was practically dying…people were looking for jobs; they couldn’t find jobs; people were complaining. We saw truancy increase again, people were dropping out of school, people couldn’t afford to send their kids to school because they lost their jobs. There was no social safety net,” Dr. Jagdeo lamented.
Through the implementation of several initiatives and projects, the government has created opportunities for employment “Today it is a very different place,” he said. In fact, the region is now faced with labour shortages, a challenge which the government was addressing through the creation of training facilities in the region.

OIL, GAS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Further significant investment was being made to transform the region’s infrastructure, making way for more lucrative economic traffic into the region.
According to Dr. Jagdeo, the construction of a modern, four-lane highway connecting New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek, and the development of a deep-water port are underway.
The $400 million highway, he said, will change the region as the massive throughway is expected to complement the region’s burgeoning oil and gas industry.
“That road will be crucial to moving goods and services along that corridor and we believe that there will be more migration of the oil and gas industry to that region. If the second monetisation of gas project comes on shore, it will come on shore in Berbice because that is the ideal location.”

There have been significant oil finds off the coast of that region.
In addition to these projects, the government was also looking to improve the region’s access to reliable and sustainable electricity.
“We are putting in more solar power like the one we are doing in Essequibo and in Linden; we already have the contract out for about over 10 megawatts of solar power in Berbice. We are going to upgrade the transmission main from Georgetown control centre all the way to Berbice so that we can move more power reliably to that part of the country.”
Jagdeo highlighted that millions were being spent to rehabilitate and construct new sporting and recreational facilities, as well as improve the local drainage and irrigation system to strengthen the region’s flood resistance.