Pres Ali pledges massive investments in concrete drains, erosion prevention in Region 10

…says PPP/C listens, acts with love & dignity

The next People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government plans to invest billions of dollars on enhancing the drainage infrastructure and building out a comprehensive erosion strategy for Region 10 (Upper Demerara Berbice).
This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during the party’s massive rally held at the Lieu-Ken-Pen Square in Wismar, Linden on Sunday. He said that the PPP/C had consulted with various communities across the region and one common concern raised was poor drainage. In response, Ali, who is seeking a second term in office at the September 1 elections, detailed plans to tackle one the most persistent challenges that the communities face.

“The number one priority of every single village in Linden is drainage, proper drainage. We are going to deploy a massive plan in Region 10 to build back the entire drainage system with concrete drains… That is tens of billions of dollars that will be invested in drainage alone so that we can avoid flooding,” the Head of State noted. Flooding continues to be a major issue in Linden, particularly in West Watooka, Fair’s Rust, Noitgedacht, Victory Valley, and Wismar Shore. Heavy rain causes water to overflow outdated and blocked drainage systems, leading to flooded yards, roads, and properties.
Similarly, President Ali also outlined that there will be efforts to implement a structured plan to address erosion – something which communities along the Berbice River have also expressed concerns about.
“We are going to not only complete a comprehensive erosion strategy, but we are going to proactively build out the infrastructure to avoid erosion,” he stated.
Moreover, the maintenance of creeks was another issue that was raised by the riverine communities. As such, Ali said the Government will buy the equipment and give the responsibility to the communities to carry out the maintenance works thus empowering them.
“Those are your priorities. We are not doing guesswork… We listen, we hear and most importantly, we act with love, compassion, honour and dignity. When you vote on September 1, you are voting for a strong, stable and secure future with the People’s Progressive Party…[and] the continuation of investment in roads, community roads, drains, sanitation, recreational facilities, sports, family support and entertainment,” the President noted.

More economic improvements
Another initiative that citizens can look forward to under the next PPP/C Administration is a comprehensive plan to tackle economic hardships of Guyanese with interventions to address the rising cost of living, access to services, home ownership opportunities and expanding national wealth.
“Our primary policy is your poverty reduction, we have a clearly defined Poverty Reduction Strategy that will look at every one of these issues,” the President stressed. According to Ali, while his Government has no control over rising international transport costs that impact shipments or the global energy costs that have seen high prices for things like fertilisers, it has done everything it could have to subsidise these so that the burden does not fall on the Guyanese people.
“But guess what? We are not comfortable saying that we don’t control the world market prices. That is why we have set ourselves a bold vision going forward,” he declared. Part of that vision is support for the local agriculture sector to make it self-sufficient and not reliant on food imports.
“[We’ll be] investing in transformative ideas that will bring down the cost of production, increase productivity and reduce the cost of goods and services for the people of our country. We are a party about plans, about vision, about strategy, and when you vote on 1st September, you are voting comprehensively for an overwhelming majority in the Parliament to allow us to implement these strategies,” the President noted. With massive investments already being made to enhance the region’s road and bridge infrastructure, Ali said more injected funds will come to ensure that citizens there also benefit from world class health services, education, quality water, access to capital, wealth creation and access to good Government services. Over the next five years, Region 10 will also benefit from special incentives to support a tourism expansion plan and investment strategy. This will be further bolstered by the state-of-the-art stadium that is being built in Linden. According to Ali, there will be an entire ecosystem around that stadium that will bring in the national and regional events to the Region 10, which will create business for locals, fill the rooms and restaurants there and will see visitors buying services there. But even as he outlined plans to build and diversify the region’s economy, Ali assured that the traditional economy there will not be neglected. Linden is traditionally a mining town with bauxite being a long-time source of job creation for residents there.
“We are going to incentivise and go after investments to add value to bauxite. It’s not only about new production but any bauxite company talking to us now about the expansion and the future, must be ready to invest in value creation and value-added so more jobs can be created here in Linden,” he noted.
President Ali went onto say, “I don’t know what’s wrong or right but I know the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is right for you and every single citizen of this country… So, the choice is clear. That choice is about your future. That choice is about the best possible Region 10… That choice is about the implementation of your priorities. We have shown you that you can trust us.”