Waini residents see Beal project as economic opportunity
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Waini residents see Beal project as economic opportunity
-- Regional Chairmanby Wendella Davidson
Guyana Chronicle
December 20, 1999
"PEOPLE of Waini region view the proposed (Beal aerospace) project as an opportunity to move from the state of economic depression in which most of the inhabitants find themselves by virtue of the fact that they depend primarily on the land," Chairman of the Barima/Waini Region, Mr Norman Whittaker told a Beal Aerospace forum on Friday.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Whittaker said the inhabitants of Barima/Waini are 100 per cent in favour of the proposed Government of Guyana/Beal Aerospace deal, once they are assisted with relocating, and are adequately compensated.
Among those present were Government representatives headed by Prime Minister Sam Hinds; Government's Chief Negotiator in the Government/Beal rocket proposal, Mr Edgar Heyligar;
Environmental Expert, Mr Peter Pritchard; Chairman of Go-Invest, Mr Kellawan Lall; Director of Go-Invest Mr Deochand Narain; Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Cecil Durjohn; and officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ms Denise Fraser. The forum was held at the Ocean View Hotel.
The Beal Aerospace Technologies team comprised Mr David Spoede, Vice President, General Counsel and Government Relations; Mr Walter Lewis, Vice President, Business Development: Mr Wade Gates, Corporate Affairs Director and Production Supervisor Mr Bennie Lee.
According to Whittaker, the participation by him and residents of the region in the forum, is the fulfillment of a pledge undertaken to inform and update residents on the proposed Beal Aerospace investment.
The Barima/Waini Region, he pointed out, is about 75,000 square miles. There are 24,000 inhabitants most of whom are subsistence farmers.
Traditionally, residents depended on primary production fishing, logging, mining, agriculture and employment in the Public Service for their day-to-day survival.
With the decline in the world market price for gold, several persons have begun to remove from the industry.
Also, with Barama shifting and downsizing its operation at Port Kaituma, it is anticipated that "scores of people" will be out of employment, Whittaker explained.
There is also a problem with rising water, and farmers realise that they are losing the battle. Whittaker said it was under those circumstances that the initial reaction was met with enquiring minds.
However, following meetings conducted by officers in the various villages, even residents not directly affected have begun to realise the potential opportunities which could abound for cottage and service entities.
Alluding to the sale of the 26,000 additional acres of land to Beal, the Regional Chairman said that even when farming was at its peak during the 1960s 1970s and 1980s, less than five per cent of the said land was under cultivation.
Currently less than one per cent is cultivated and this is either owned, leased and farmed by four large scale farmers.
Whittaker pointed out that as much as the residents appreciate the concerns of those who would like to protect the environment it is important that developing countries like Guyana seek to manage their resources as opposed to leaving them as they are.
A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples