Region 10 residents must be able to own land along corridor of development - Figueira
Opposition Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira on Wednesday said that while he welcomes the expansion of the Wismar-Mackenzie bridge and development of the Linden-Lethem highway, residents of Region 10, must benefit from owning lands along that corridor for the establishment of businesses.
He made this argument during his budget debate presentation at the 74th Sitting of the National Assembly.
“Mr Speaker, we in Region 10 welcome the expansion of the Wismar- Mackenzie Bridge, our present experience daily is a testament to this need. Further, the building of the Linden to Lethem highway is equally important to our people and region, for the enormous potential it can harness for growth and development. However, our people must benefit from owning lands along that corridor for the establishment of businesses”, Figueira told the house.
The Parliamentarian is of the view that Region Ten [Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice] is best suited to become a commercial and heavy cargo trans-shipment hub, due to its geography.
He said the People of Region 10 will no longer accept the idea of just being the gateway to the interior and Brazil, where business counterparts traverse, just to locate other opportunities outside of that administrative region and businesses pass through to another destination.
According to Figueira, he alongside residents will be clamouring for Region 10 to become accredited as a destination for commerce, trade, tourism and entertainment.
“No other region in this country is more connected to Guyana than Region Ten, the heartland region through which all three main rivers flow, and the heartland which can access 8 of our ten regions,” he told the National Assembly.
He recommended that Budget 2024 could aid the administrative zone in becoming that “transshipment commercial hub”.
On the corridor to Brazil, Figueira said Region 10 needs an industrial duty-free zone to be established, where there are facilities such as container terminals, assembling plants, warehouses, and cottage industries.
He also recommended that there be small, medium and large-scale manufacturing industries, to procure a sustainable source of income.
The APNU+AFC Member also recommended that there be investments in the region with the aid of the local private sector, but for this to come into fruition the aesthetic of several projects in the region needs to be developed, he noted.
“We need to see the Linden airstrip, which is considered the 3rd best in the country, developed now and comes under the control of the municipality as a revenue earner for the township. It needs a hangar, a control tower and other facilities to contribute to air travel to the interior and other Caribbean destinations and Budget 2024 can make all of this possible Mr. Speaker, but its course needs adjusting”, he posited.
Turning Attention to the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), Figuiera lamented that the initiative which is geared at supporting local entrepreneurship, is failing miserably due to no support from stakeholders in the private sector.