With the Linden to Lethem road improvement project on the horizon, Linden stakeholders are working to capitalise on potential ideas and initiatives that may be provided through the project.
A section of the Linden-Lethem road
Some stakeholders have their eyes set on investment opportunities, while others are mulling various ways of securing employment for members of the community through infrastructure development. Stakeholders are also examining the possibility of developing Linden into a trans-shipment hub and a major access point to the international market.
“When that road is completed, it will not open Linden to just the rest of South America, but it would open Linden to the rest of the world…We’re talking about having a trans- shipment point, a trans-shipment hub in Linden. We’re talking about not only goods coming from Brazil and moving through Linden, but we’re talking about the Caribbean and the rest of the world, using this port as their trans-shipment point,” Linden Chamber of Commerce and Development President Kevin De Jonge explained.
As a result, he said Lindeners now have to pool together their resources in order to prepare for such massive development.
Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Regional Chairman Renis Morian explained that officials were working to secure investors as they gear up for infrastructural development.
“Based on the fact that there would be a road, not just to Lethem and other roads, we’re looking at investors, in terms of a bitumen plant. We’re putting the investments now in clusters. We’re thinking in terms of a crushing plant. We’re thinking in terms of people going in to trucking. There are those persons in the service-oriented business, geared for infrastructure development,” he said.
In addition, Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland said he has already sought assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for a feasibility study to allow for the inclusion of a rail along the Linden to Lethem road. Holland noted that the Government would welcome the initiative which he said would assist in providing thousands of jobs. He has also recently engaged officials from the Chinese Embassy to pursue investment in this regard. The Public Infrastructure Ministry and the United Kingdom Government are expected to collaborate on the first phase of the Linden to Lethem road project, which is set to commence soon.
