By Svetlana Marshall

BUSINESS executive and former journalist, Carwyn Holland says he will address, ‘head-on’, the many issues affecting the people of Linden, once he is elected mayor of the mining town.Holland, who has been financing a number of charitable projects in the mining town since the age of 19, is among the group of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) candidates who are contesting in the Municipality of Linden at the March 18 Local Government Elections (LGE).

In the Proportional Representation (PR) component, Holland would be contesting the LGE in Constituency 4.

In a one-on-one interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Holland said he is ready to join a fresh group of young, vibrant leaders who will stand committed to the development of Linden, a town ever so often described as a depressed community with a high rate of unemployment.

“The Linden IMC is in a sad state,” Holland posited. However, he said it is no fault of the current Chairman of the Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC) Orrin Gordon, who took office after the fall of Stanley Smith, the last Mayor of Linden.
“He did one hell of a job in trying to lift the level of the operation of the Council. He tried his best and I believe that he did a reasonable job. Under strenuous circumstances he fought against the regime, and he fought against the authorities to get betterment for Linden, but he did not get anything,” Holland said.

FRESH INJECTION
Lack of support from the previous administration, insufficient funding, poor management and a political divide that tore the council to pieces are among the contributing factors that have led to the current state and affairs of the council. According to Holland, the subvention supplied to the Linden Mayor and Town Council on an annual basis is clearly insufficient. “Linden needs a fresh injection.”

“Approximately 70% of the roads in Linden are uncapped, about 30 per cent are capped. To do one kilometer of road is about $80M, our subvention is $11M, now what can we do with that?”

In addition to the push for an increase in the annual subvention to the council, the APNU+AFC candidate said once elected to office, a proposal will be made for the municipality to receive a greater percentage of the revenues being garnered at the Mackenzie\Wismar Bridge. The Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge is managed by the NICIL through the Linmine Secretariat, but a percentage of the revenues garnered is given to the council.

“Linden could do better with a higher percentage of the bridge toll revenues instead of just 25% which it receives,” he reasoned.

The revival of the disbanded toll booth at Kara Kara in the vicinity of the Guyana Forestry Commission Branch Office is another excellent source of revenue, Holland opined. “With proper governance, that toll booth can bring in approximately $40 million on an annual basis.”

RATES AND TAXES
Another matter of major concern, Holland said, is the issue of rates and taxes. Though the municipality has responsibility for Linden, several communities within the town have not been regularized; so the council has been unable to rake in the desired amount of taxes – taxes that have remained extremely low for many years.
“The taxes that have been in place, they are age-old,” Holland said, while pointing out that his property tax was set at $900 for the year ending 2015.

Revising the tax regime will be one of the issues that will be placed high on his agenda once elected a councillor but an increase would be good for Linden but Lindeners should not be forced to pay more if they are not financially empowered.
“You can’t ask people to pay what they don’t have.”
Infrastructural development such as the provision of better roads, market facilities and an enhanced waste collection and disposal system are plans the APNU+AFC coalition candidate has in store for the people of Linden.

MANUFACTURING HUB
According to him, Linden must be placed on a trajectory that includes stimulating the economy to create jobs. “Linden is an ideal manufacturing hub for Guyana and we need to take manufacturing to Linden – with manufacturing will come a lot of jobs because I believe that is a sector we have a lot of skilled people in Linden, people who are eager to work, we have qualified people, we have the space and infrastructure for manufacturing. That is one area that has been ignored for quite a long time,” he posited.

Moreover, a boost in the tourism sector and the paving of the road from Linden to Lethem can mean well for the people of Linden, the young leader said.