$69.3M for upgrade of Leonora Market Old Road – Minister Indar

Some $69.3 million will be expended through the Ministry of Public Works for the upgrade of the Leonora Market Old Road, Region Three.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, M.P during a community engagement at Kowsilla Park, Leonora on Wednesday said, “This is designed to bring everybody [vendors] who are selling at the front inside, so this thing with people at the back suffering and they’re the ones who got to pay and so, it got to come to an end.”

The asphaltic concrete road will span approximately 343 metres in length and will feature a tarmac, which will mitigate vending on the access road.

Wednesday’s meeting followed a recent visit to the region by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Since the president’s visit, the ministry has engaged officials of the mandir that oversees an abandoned building nearby, which will house vendors during the road construction.

An Interim Management Committee is also expected to be established for the market soon.

Accompanying the minister was Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, M.P, who addressed the Guyana to Barbados gold market hub initiative.

The gold market will facilitate the sale of Guyanese crafted gold jewellery in Barbados.  It is a partnership recently inked between President Ali and Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley.  

Minister Walrond said the initiative will generate great economic development, and expand the tourism sector, while allowing Guyanese to showcase their craft.

She said two buildings have been identified in prime areas with high tourist influx to house the jewellery store fronts.

“We are giving our jewellers that opportunity, Guyana’s gold and jewellery is in high demand in Barbados. And so, the two countries have decided to come together where we provide a place in Barbados for a space for our jewellers to be able to sell their craft, and sell their jewellery. I went to Barbados and they have identified the two possible locations to set up a store. Barbados and Guyana will be jointly financing the set up and our jewellers will then be put in place,” she said.

In addition, to the store front, a GO-Invest office will also be established in the sister CARICOM state.

So far, 110 jewellers were contacted and four jewellers and gold smiths will be visiting On April 29 to decide between the two buildings.