New Region 6 projects to modernise ancient county – AG
– as he responds to criticisms
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP, responded Tuesday to criticisms levelled against the government over the planned development in the Berbice county.
Minister Nandlall highlighted the myriad of commercial institutions that are set to take Regions Five and Six by storm.
“We spoke about the plans to do a new stadium in Berbice, we spoke about new hotels, we spoke about the bridging of the Corentyne river, and the accompanying infrastructure that will flow therefrom…and we spoke about a deep-water harbour among the many developmental projects,” he noted.
The minister said that these developmental projects will be designed in a way to generate growth, create job opportunities and “modernise what is described as the ancient county”.
Despite the substantiated claims of potential advancement, the Attorney General revealed that the announcements were met with intense criticism from a small sect of society, labelling the county as unfit and unable to meet the needs of the developments.
Referencing a headline in which the projects were called “white elephants”, minister Nandlall recalled that former projects undertaken by the previous PPP/C administrations, including the Providence Stadium and the Marriott Hotel, were also met with criticisms and labelled “white elephants” when first introduced. These establishments, the minister opined, proved crucial in the development of Guyana’s economy.
“The stadium has been the forum to host so many events both locally and internationally, including of course, our many international cricket matches…we have lived to see how those projects have aided in the transformational change that has taken place and is taking place in our country,” the minister asserted.
The village of Palmyra in East Berbice was earmarked to become one of the premier business hubs in the county.
During the recent Cabinet outreach to Region Six, it was announced that the government plans to convert a portion of the canefield in the community into a stadium.
“All the lands of GuySuco around the Palmyra area where the monument is, you are going to have a stadium similar to the one in Providence in Georgetown,” Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had said during a meeting.
The Vice President believes that the massive sporting facility can serve hundreds of residents in both Regions Five and Six, as the one at Providence is serving Regions Three and Four.