The Guyana Government is currently discussing the idea of developing a secondary city along the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway.
This announcement was made by President Ali on Wednesday at the Annual Awards Ceremony of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association.
During his feature address, the Head of State revealed: “We have initiated discussions on having a new area – a secondary city – developed. We are exploring this opportunity along the new four-lane highway because we are already seeing the pressure on the city itself.”
Speaking with reporters after the event, President Ali pointed out that this is not a new initiative. He reminded that the concept of the ‘Silica City’ was first introduced at a Building Expo while he was Housing Minister under the last PPP/C administration.
“Now we have to think about the future, think about the flood plain, think about the natural expansion of the city – the industrialisation that will take place, manufacturing – and naturally, the growth is expanding itself. You’re seeing this from the type of development that is taking place on the outskirts of the city itself,” he stated.
According to the President, the secondary city will be connected to the new four-lane road; that is, the East Coast-East Bank Bypass Road, which is pegged to be a catalyst in the development of Guyana’s infrastructure.
This initiative, the Head of State posited, will be funded through a public-private mix.
Back in 2013 at the fourth International Building and Construction Exposition, Ali, who was then the Housing and Water Minister, had unveiled ‘Silica City’, which he had said would be the first real initiative that would take industry, commerce and residential housing to higher ground.
It was reported at the time that Silica City would be developed on over 500 acres of land along the Linden/Soesdyke highway.
Ali had encouraged potential investors, bankers, buyers to register with Silica City, while also urging citizens to accept allocation in Silica City.
“We are at the stage of development where, 10 years ago, we never thought about land reclamation. Today, as we discuss the whole idea of securing our frontier from the sea, one of the main topics on the agenda is reclaiming land. There is a shift in opportunity and a shift in thinking. For us to have a sustainable future in Guyana, we must have a futuristic outlook that understands the environmental consequences and technological changes,” Ali had stated back in 2013.
