Development will occur in all corners of Guyana – Ali

Guyana’s development will not be tied to Georgetown but rather, all corners of Guyana will undergo drastic development. This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, at the opening of one such out of town development, the Baker Hughes Supercenter.

During the opening of the Baker Hughes Supercenter in Land of Caanan, the President talked up development in Guyana. He noted that as drastic development reaches all corners of the country, communities must be prepared for it.
“We have to get accustomed to this. Because this is how the future of the country will be built out. There will be and must be growth poles all across the country, whether it’s the Berbice River. Whether it’s in Region 10. Whether it’s in Essequibo.”

“Each area must develop its own identity of growth and development, so that new growth poles and new areas of development will spring off. And that spring off will bring integrated benefits for the various communities. So, the landscape for this entire stretch will change drastically,” President Ali further explained.
The President also noted that a population shift will also have to occur to support the industries that will spring up and the jobs that will be created. He said the Government is cognisant of this and its infrastructure programme will pave the way for these industries to be developed.
When it comes to building infrastructure to support the development Guyana must undergo, the Government had allocated $25.6 billion in the 2022 budget for this. Among the large-scale projects on the agenda are the Linden to Mabura Hill road, the new Demerara River bridge and the Corentyne bridge.
The upgraded Linden to Lethem Road corridor will provide year-round connectivity between Linden and Mabura Hill, improving conditions for local and long-haul transport which can increase trade between Guyana and Brazil.
Along with the improved road network, residents in the remote communities along the Linden to Mabura Hill corridor will see immediate benefits from improved access to basic essential services and an expansion in economic activity. The project is also expected to bolster eco-tourism along the corridor by improving access to several nature reserves, such as the Iwokrama Rainforest.
The new Demerara River bridge will meanwhile offer easy connectivity to both the existing East Bank Demerara road as well as the new Diamond-to-Ogle bypass on the eastern side of the river and to the existing West Bank Demerara road and the new Parika-to-Schoonord road on the western side of the river. The new bridge will also offer critical connectivity to the new Wales Development Authority, which will be a major centre of productive activity when it comes on stream.
In addition, the Corentyne River bridge will not only link Guyana and Suriname, but also open up access to greater economic opportunities beyond them into French Guiana, and through the road network being developed into Brazil, and eventually further into South America.

Technology
President Ali meanwhile noted that the Government wants to attract companies with innovative technology. He said that this will particularly be on display during the International Oil and Gas Conference, which starts today.
“We are working now on not only companies that are mainstream into oil and gas, food production, eco-tourism. We are working on getting the companies that have technologies that are still in the testing phase, to come to Guyana, to advance those technologies,” the President said.
“So, in this conference you will see companies coming with technologies that haven’t reached the market as yet. We’re in discussion with them to make Guyana the home of those technology. Because we see the potential of this. We see, with the oil and gas resources, how we can create a competitive environment for innovation and technology.”
Over 150 exhibitors are registered for the Oil and Gas Conference – 40 of which are local companies or operators. Apart from participation from President Dr Irfaan Ali; the visiting leaders include Ghanian President, Nana Akufo-Addo; Surinamese President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi; and Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley.
Last year, the Government of Guyana through Natural Resources Minister Bharrat had declared the Government’s full support for the International Energy Conference and Expo, describing it as a chance for Guyana and its limitless investment opportunities to be put in the spotlight. (G3)