PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has announced plans for the creation of two dedicated business districts on either side of the Demerara River in Linden, saying the initiative is designed to expand commerce, services and entertainment while deepening economic opportunities for residents of Region 10.
Addressing residents of Victory Valley during an ongoing Cabinet outreach, the Head of State said the proposed facilities, one in Wismar and the other in Mackenzie, will bring small businesses together in organised commercial zones where they will receive targeted support, training and access to new financing options.
“We’re going to build two facilities on each side of the river, and what we’re going to call these facilities are business districts,” President Ali told the gathering. “We’ll build the tarmacs, we’ll put shops, whether it’s mechanic, inspection, spray painting, commerce, entertainment, on both sides, so we can bring the small businesses together,” he added.
He explained that the government’s intention is not only to cluster enterprises in one location, but to create an ecosystem where budding entrepreneurs can grow and formalise their operations.
“In bringing the small businesses together, we can then support you. We can empower you. We can have training seminars and training programmes right there,” the President said, noting that the districts will be linked to wider initiatives, including access to financing through the soon-to-be-established Guyana Development Bank.
President Ali said the administration is already working on identifying businesses and mapping out how they can benefit from existing development grants and other state-backed incentives.
“We have to identify these businesses. Identify how do we benefit from the development grant, the Guyana Development Bank. How we will help you to build out the business opportunities,” he told residents, contrasting his government’s developmental agenda with what he described as politically driven attempts to “sow division” in the community.
FOCUS ON YOUTH, WOMEN AND PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY
The president said the new business districts form part of a broader strategy to boost the “productive capacity” of Linden by targetting young people and women for structured economic empowerment.
He outlined ongoing and planned initiatives to bring young people together in various productive ventures, including agriculture and agro-processing.
Beyond the business districts, President Ali announced that government is examining the development of an agro-investment park in Linden, outfitted with modern technology and support services.
“We are going to also look at an area to develop an agro-investment park here in Linden, where we will have the best technology available to you, irrigation system, extension services. These are the things that we want to do with you. These are the things we want to invest in to support you right here,” he stated.
The president also committed to accelerating works on the community centre in the area, saying government wants the facility completed within nine months as a dedicated hub for training and empowerment.
KEY TRANSIT AND INVESTMENT HUB
President Ali used the engagement to situate the planned business districts within a wider web of infrastructural and economic projects which he said are transforming Region 10 and positioning Linden as an emerging transit and investment hub.
He cited the extension of the Linden–Lethem Road, the proposed bridge at Kurupukari, new housing developments, and upgrades to the Soesdyke-Linden Highway as part of an integrated push to raise land values, expand trade, and link Guyana’s coastland with the hinterland and northern Brazil.
“This town is going to be an important transit point,” the president said, pointing to the extension of the road from Mabura Hill to Kurupukari and “the proposal of having the bridge completed at Kurupukari and then the last stretch of road. That is integrating your economy here with that of northern Brazil.”
“All the improvement in the roads, the new Linden–Soesdyke Highway that is being rebuilt, the lights are going in place, these are important investments for you in Linden, because you know the difficulties when the road is not good. You know the opportunities now that is [sic] coming your way. You know that the value of your land is increasing. That is not accidental,” he added.
President Ali said government is also in discussions with investors to expand operations in the bauxite industry, even as it continues to roll out housing and social programmes in the region.
According to him, nearly $120 billion dollars have been invested in the region, with hundreds of millions channelled into Victory Valley alone.
“There are almost $120 billion plus that we have invested in Region 10. But you are aware of this. You are beneficiaries of this,” he told residents. “If you believe you have seen transformation in Linden, you have not really seen the massive transformation that still lies ahead.”
REJECTING ‘HATE AND DIVISION’
President Ali drew a sharp contrast between the administration’s development agenda and what he characterised as a “propaganda machinery” bent on stoking ethnic and regional divisions.
He warned residents against those who, he claimed, are “paid” to peddle misinformation and to use issues such as energy and investment as tools to “ignite hate and division” in the town.
“We are speaking about development. We are speaking about advancement. We are speaking about upliftment. We are speaking about empowerment. Because nothing trumps that. We are not here to run anyone down. We are here to tell the truth, to tell a development story, to listen to people with ideas, not for those who want to parrot propaganda, because they parrot the propaganda because they are paid to do so,” President Ali said.
