Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy said that the Soesdyke-Linden highway is on the brink of tremendous transformation.
The minister was at the time speaking, during the land lease distribution ceremony for approximately 435 residents, at Base Road Timehri on Monday.
He said that the government is tackling squatting in the area. Minister McCoy said the administration is committed to empowering residents through land ownership.
The public affairs minister, who also holds parliamentary responsibility for the area, said that the government has been working to identify areas along the highway that will be established as housing schemes to achieve this goal.
“So apart from treating issues [in the] communities where we may have to relocate and of course, regularise, part of this plan is to establish housing schemes,” the minister said.
He said that the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission has undertaken this responsibility.
“We are aiming for three housing schemes where we will be able to have people along the highway that may need to be relocated and placed in these schemes,” he added.
The Soesdyke-Linden Highway is seeing significant development across multiple sectors.
Infrastructure upgrades like the four-lane expansion of the Soesdyke Junction to Timehri road will improve transportation, while investments in tourism aim to revitalise the industry.
Additionally, the Silica City project promises yet another layer of development, in the form of a modern urban centre in the area.
The project will see the creation of 100 residential homes in addition to shopping centres, apartment complexes, condos, hotels, restaurants, and other facilities. It is a critical step towards fostering environmentally friendly living conditions and combatting the impacts of climate change.
Construction has already begun on the first 100 young professional homes for the project.
“There are many things that you will see apart from just housing schemes. You will see the establishment of commercial facilities that will enhance the highway’s assets and be able to create opportunities for more work,” Minister McCoy pointed out.
The minister was adamant that the government would resist any attempts to derail the progress in these communities and underscored the importance of collaboration to accelerate development.
“As our government, and as our country develops, in every region, we want to be able to simultaneously develop, and develop in a way that brings about order,” he emphasised. [DPI]
