President urges Lindeners to lead by example

… as trade fair and expo opens

President David Granger has made a call for the Linden community to lead the way in the overall development of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), as well as to leverage its status as a capital town. The President was at the time addressing officials and residents at the official opening of the Linden Trade and Investment Fair on Friday. The collaborative effort between the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) and the Linden Chamber of Commerce was officially launched back in January, under the theme, “Linden – the gateway for investment and opportunities, a window to future development”.

President Granger inspects a solar panel on display in one of the booths

The three days of activities, hosted at the Egbert Benjamin Centre at Mackenzie, is slated to wrap up this evening. A wide range of sectors and businesses are on showcase, including areas such as local manufacturing, tourism, mining, construction, furniture and agro-processing, among others. According to coordinator Staydon Payne, the Linden Trade and Investment Fair has been formulated to be more investment oriented, while exhibiting the potentials of local manufacturers and business people. In delivering the feature address, President Granger applauded the collaboration between the two organisations, while establishing his belief that the community’s confidence will translate into production and economic growth. The Head of State indicated that Linden is now a leader in capital town investment and as such, must leverage its status as a capital town. In like fashion, the President said the Upper Demerara Region must also leverage its strategic location.

“Linden can draw its strength from the resources of the whole region. The prospects for the development of business and commerce and industry in Linden are linked to the development of the rest of the region. Linden will develop faster. Its progress will take you further and you’ll become richer, if it looks beyond the narrow boundaries of the town itself. Linden must lead, it must show the entire region the way forward; the way towards becoming a significant commercial and industrial centre. It must leverage its status as a capital town and as a strategic location with its stops not only of natural resources, but also of human, entrepreneurial resources,” the President established. Emphasising that the region has several advantages and has the potential to be one of the most progressive regions, the Head of State pointed to the fact that Region 10 is also rich in agricultural lands which can contribute to food security. The rich, agricultural lands, he noted has attracted much interest and the time has come for the region to look towards the creation of new products, as well as to add value to those products, using technology as a driving force.

“The time has come to add value and to create new products. This region needs to unlock its potential, unleash its energy. It needs to combine its abundant natural resources with its human talent and financial capital… I want to applaud the collaboration that exist between these two organisations, the Linden Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Linden Enterprise Network… This is important for us. It emphasises the importance of partnership aimed at invigorating investment in activating business and stimulating economic development. It encourages capital towns… We must adopt the model of positive economic development.” The President also emphasised the important roles which the public and Private Sectors can play in such development and the importance of the collaboration between the two, in helping to overcome the challenges within the region, while pointing to its strategic location. He also highlighted the region’s potential for eco-tourism while noting that Linden cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the region. Also pointing to a range of skilled persons which the region possess President Granger expressed the need to master information technology, not only to sell products but be informed about market demands. He encouraged Lindeners to learn the art of saving and to invest prudently, while tapping into advertising opportunities offered through local celebrities and the Diaspora, as a tool for marketing many of its local products. Also present at the event was Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, Regional Chairman Renis Morian and Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland, among others.