-proposals for hotels, resorts being considered, President Ali announces at Kuru Kururu meeting

IN a clearly-defined strategy to propel the development of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday announced that plans are afoot to construct a state-of-the-art hospital somewhere along it.

The Head of State was at the time addressing a community meeting at Kuru Kururu where he outlined a comprehensive development plan for the corridor, emphasising its potential to improve living conditions, accelerate agriculture, health services, and education.

“On the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, just like we have in Diamond, we are going to build a first-class healthcare facility for you right here on the Linden-Soesdyke highway. You will have your own accident and emergency; you will have your own surgical theatres, you will have your own beds,” the President told hundreds of residents.

This facility, he explained further, will be similar to the recently commissioned Diamond Regional Hospital, which is designed to meet international standards and outfitted with 24-hour emergency and laboratory services. It is also outfitted with an oxygen plant, water-filtration system, advanced diagnostics technology, 75 beds, three operating theatres, and several intensive care units, which also exceed Chinese, British and American standards.

While the government intends to build the infrastructure needed to drive development, he noted, too, that it is equally important to ensure that residents are well positioned to leverage the opportunities being presented to them.

“We want your children to be your healthcare workers,” he said. “We want your children to be your teachers; we want your children to be your doctors and engineers. That is why we have made university education free.”

President Ali noted that proposals have already been made for the construction of new hotels and resorts along the highway; initiatives that will create many opportunities.

“We have major project proposals for resorts; for resorts and hotels to be built on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. Very shortly, the new hotel at Timerhi will open, and they will have to find 1,500 persons to work in that hotel. Where are they going to come from? Right here on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway,” he said.

Speaking further on the targetted community initiatives, President Ali assured residents that the government will continue to invest in opening new lands for housing, improving drainage and irrigation, and building safe and sustainable communities.

“If we want to build value on the Linden- Soesdyke Highway,” he said, “we have to remove from the ad hoc type of development that is taking place, and we have to have more structured development, where you can have proper rates; you can have treated water, street lights, schools, health centres, and you can have all the amenities of a modern urban planning area.”

Already, the government, through the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, has completed occupational surveys identifying 153 plots of land. The paperwork and allocation have since been completed for 85 per cent of those plots located in the Kuru Kururu North squatting area.

The gathering was told that at the Kuru Kururu-Swan turn area, more than 206 plots were surveyed and allocated.

“We’re going to help you to ensure you build your homes and own your homes, because one of the big programmes that we want to launch on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway is a home-improvement project and a home ownership project, where we’ll bring the banks; We’ll co-finance with the banks,” President Ali said, adding:

“I challenge any leader to come here and speak to you with such a clearly defined plan for the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.”

To this end, he noted that the government will continue to give citizens greater access to land ownership, and greater access to capital.

“This plan is not only about wealth transfer; this is about wealth creation. There is a difference between wealth transfer and wealth creation. This plan is about helping you to create opportunities to grow; to create opportunities to build businesses, to create opportunity to have a prosperous future right here on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway,” the president said.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, who is also the cluster head for communities along the highway, highlighted the President’s steady leadership, compassion, and work ethic, emphasising the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s commitment to genuine development and community improvement.

“We are not about trying to say things to people that will amount to nonsensical, or that will not come into fruition or reality. We deliver on every single thing we say we will do, and this is a President and a party of honour,” Minister McCoy said.