On one-day visit to Linden...
President moots investor friendly taxation policies
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
March 20, 2004
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has described his visit to Linden last Thursday as being a successful one in that he was able to interact with the Municipality's Interim Management Committee (IMC) and members of the Region Democratic Council (RDC), and have a first-hand look at ongoing projects in the township.
Speaking with members of the IMC and RDC at Watooka House, the President said that while it is important to put measures in place to garner funds, it is also essential that taxation policies do not deter investors. "Taxation policies must be investor friendly," the President urged, adding that investors would be scared away and invest elsewhere if tax measures were too harsh.
He assured the IMC that his government is willing to give support to them, but they need to show initiative, innovativeness and greater effort in revenue collection as well as in providing service to the residents of the municipality.
The goodwill of the people to the IMC is there and their expectations are high, the President noted, urging them to use the goodwill to fulfill their obligations to the community.
The government, responding to a call by citizens of Linden who charged that the former Town Council was not functioning in their interest disbanded it and in consultation with members of the community established the IMC, which is headed by Orwin Gordon.
One of the more recent developments pertaining to Linden, President Jagdeo disclosed, is the interest shown by a foreign company to establish a modern state-of-the-art recycling plant in the township to process wastes produced locally and from abroad.
The President assured Lindeners that the nature of the wastes intended to be processed at the facility will be non-toxic. However, he made it categorically clear that his government would only support its establishment after the community agrees with the proposal through wide consultations with them, and the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). "I don't want people to say Jagdeo is bringing waste to Linden," he re-emphasized.
The RDC has already expressed support for the proposed project in principle, outlining several conditionalities.
The President also advised the IMC and RDC members not to have a "tug of war" for control and ownership of already existing resources but rather to develop new ones.
Dealing with the bauxite industry and the interest shown by the Russian Aluminum Company (RUSAL), the second largest aluminum company in the world, the President said the Russians are satisfied that Guyana has sufficient quantities of bauxite and are now evaluating whether the volume of overburden would be cost effective to mine here.
He said he is hopeful that the proposed investment would turn out successful.
As regards the new management of LINMINE under the Cambior group, the President said the arrangement is going fairly well, but he is desirous of an accelerated conclusion of an agreement.
However, the President cautioned that other industries and businesses have to be developed. "You cannot put all your eggs in one basket," he exhorted.
One of the encouraging projects in the township, President Jagdeo, observed is the establishment of a Call Centre, which is currently under construction and is one of the projects under the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP).
Under this project, which would see an overall investment of about $100M, would create employment for some 200 persons initially and about 500 in the long term.
President Jagdeo also announced to Lindeners that funding for the construction of a new US$6M hospital for the town has been obtained and work on it is anticipated to begin by the end of this year.
On an earlier visit to Linden President Jagdeo promised that his government would build a new hospital in the town. The present Linden Hospital Complex, he conceded, was in a bad state.
The President also made an extensive visit to several ongoing road and infrastructure projects, during which he stopped to chat with residents on several matters of concern to them.
Among the projects he inspected were the Call Centre, West Watooka Road, the WIROCK/One-Mile Junction Road, the Linden Municipal Marketing Centre, which has started to operate, and the Linden Foundation Secondary School, which was built under the Guyana Education Access project (GEAP).