Investment, a necessary tool for Linden’s development – residents

Several residents and officials of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) are of the firm belief that investment is one of the main ingredients necessary for the development of the bauxite-rich town.
The community, which has been encouraged by numerous leaders to seek other avenues of development apart from bauxite mining, continues on the quest towards development, ever since the decline in the bauxite industry years ago.

Linden resident Winslow Parris says in order to advance the community needs the intervention of both local and foreign investors. He says the development of various industries can also have a major effect on the community’s development.
“For instance, timber. Timber passes through Linden, go to town, prepare, get good and come back to Linden in the form of furniture. What we need in Linden is a massive furniture factory, whereby we can do our own furniture. Even to export, and we can employ people,” he posited during a recent interview with Guyana Times.
Parris also pointed out that clay bricks, a product which in past times were locally manufactured and widely used were now being imported.
“We are now importing clay brick from Trinidad and Tobago…We need to come back to making clay brick. We’re putting lots of emphasis on cement blocks, when we could use clay bricks,” he said.
He alluded to the fact that many homes in the Wisroc area in Linden are made of clay brick. In past times, he said the community used to even produce its own plates, tea cups, saucers and vases using clay.
“Today, we are importing these things when we can make these things right here. All we need is the facility and we can employ our own people. What we need is private investors, either foreign or local. We got to encourage private investors. We are importing too many things that we can produce ourselves,” Parris said.
He also stressed that the community should scale up in agriculture, noting that these days people were not farming enough. Parris further stated his belief that the people of Linden have lost that sense of direction and should seek to desist from pointing fingers at various Governments.
“We need to look at ourselves. What are we doing for ourselves?”
During the recent launch of the Linden Trade and Investment Fair, Mayor Carwyn Holland said he was on a quest to drive development in the Linden community, through investment and entrepreneurship. He said Lindeners needed to work collectively since development could not happen with small mindedness. Holland also indicated that investment also plays a vital role in the community’s development.
He added that he has engaged GO-Invest and was focused on making business easier for investors who are interested in investing in the community.
“Investment also boosts the morale of our people. Investors coming to Linden can confidently invest knowing that the talent and expertise necessary for every sector can be found in Linden. We in Linden are positioned to be the manufacturing hub, the agro – processing centre and the Silicon Valley of Guyana…For Linden to advance, we need investment.”
Holland said the community could not do it alone but needed partners as he related that it was time to look at untapped areas such as tourism. Similar sentiments were also noted by Regional Chairman Renis Morian who said it was time to analyse what has been the missing link to investment over the past decade.