Linden can become industrial heartland of Guyana – Granger

President David Granger says he believes that Linden can become the industrial heartland of Guyana, indicating that the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region must remain attractive to foreign investors.

The Head of State made the assertion while addressing scores of bauxite mining

representatives and residents of the community, at the unveiling of the bauxite centennial arch in the community last week.

Urging the diversification of the bauxite industry and hence the town, the President said Linden must move away from the excessive dependency on a sole industry and explore avenues in manufacturing.

“Linden must not be satisfied with being a mining town. It must become a manufacturing town. I do believe that better days reckon for the bauxite industry. Bauxite will continue to be produced here in this geographical belt…The people of Linden must recognise the challenges of continuity, similarly the challenges of change…The town and its citizens must be able to wean themselves off of excessive dependency on a single industry. I can tell you that your Government is committed to probing diversification of the economy of Linden to enable it… Linden can become the industrial heartland of Guyana,” the Head of State noted, adding that the skills and talents of Lindeners are testimony to this. He also stated that geographically, the community is the navel of Guyana, adding that thousands of Guyanese have to pass through Linden every year.

“The Soesdyke-Linden Highway and the proposed Linden-Lethem highway, the Demerara River Bridge and the connectivity of this Upper Demerara Region…the connectivity through this Region has made Linden a geographical and social hub, and I hope that very soon it becomes an economic hub and powerhouse as well,” he stated.

Reminiscing on the history of the bauxite industry, President Granger said areas in the community such as Mackenzie, Wismar and Watooka tell the story of the circumstances which brought together people from North and South America as well as the European continent, noting the social impact of the industry on nation building.

He said the bauxite industry was mainly about economy, adding that the industry back then created thousands of jobs. The Head of State also reminisced on the years when productivity soared, making bauxite the main contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Back then, he said Guyana became the second largest producer of bauxite in the world and the world’s most diversified producer of bauxite.

Cheap energy

The President noted, however, that change was continuous and this has led to change in competitiveness, adding that global demand, market prices and technology all continue to affect the industry. Given the inevitable nature of change, he noted that the industry must adapt. President Granger recalled when the industry declined it resulted in the loss of employment, skills, revenue export earnings and profitability. He said presently one of the most significant costs in the industry was that associated with transport as outlined by bauxite mining company Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated. As such, he urged that attention be paid to the possibility of the revitalisation of the alumina plant.

“Perhaps if you exported less bauxite and more alumina and even aluminium, that might not be such a big problem…We still export bauxite as a raw and final product…the alumina plant, past and future, added value to our bauxite. It lasted 20 years and I hope that we don’t have to wait for 20 years for it to return,” the President said.

Additionally, he noted that continuity has also been a feature of the export-oriented industry, stating that the bauxite industry was solely dependent on the external markets. He further outlined that development of the industry required significant investment and called for collaboration to capitalise the sector.

“The Government of Guyana does not possess the resources to make such investment… international partners are needed…secondly, the industry needs innovation, innovative thinking and planning. It needs new technology to develop more efficiently and to reduce the cost associated with the removal of overburden and the shipping of ore. The industry needs to explore new sources of cheap energy…,” he further noted.

The President said once the issue of cheap energy was sorted out, Guyana would be able to move from bauxite to alumina and from alumina to aluminium.