Newly appointed Town Clerk of the Lethem Municipality, Keisha Vincent has promised to channel her energies towards attracting the much-needed investment that can propel the border town’s tourism prospects and augment the human resource capital in the region.
Vincent, who took up her appointment on Monday, October 31, explained that her ultimate goal is to see Lethem transformed into a bustling hive of economic activity.
The fifth of eight siblings, Vincent was born in Kamarang, to parents both of whom worked in law enforcement.
She later moved to Georgetown where she spent most of her childhood and remained until the age of 21.
Vincent believes that Lethem has a huge potential to capitalize on government’s green agenda as it embodies the very essence of pristine, unspoiled beauty.
“If you’re talking about green economy, Lethem is the perfect example. It’s quiet here. It’s not congested with traffic. The crime rate is low. The people are friendly and sociable and regardless of the political differences, we work together,” the Town Clerk said.
She pointed out that her dream is to see Lethem flourish as Brazilian businesses have shown a keen interest in the local economy.
A bilingual Vincent, who was schooled in Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese, revealed that the council intends to capitalize on the fact that Lethem is a border town.
“Region Nine is the biggest regions and Lethem is Georgetown’s equivalent of Stabroek in terms of the shopping experience so we must use this to our advantage in order to generate enough revenue. The potential is there. We just need the push and guidance,” Vincent said.
She added that with the recent introduction of a radio station, the town is now displaying some semblance of life.
Since the major economic activity in Lethem is farming, Vincent related that her focus would also be to organize and promote a local Market Day that can attract Brazilian and Venezuelan shoppers.
“They come over here to do a lot of shopping especially when it’s a holiday in their country,” the Town Clerk said of Guyana’s Southern neighbours.
With regards to accountability, the Town Clerk said she has no intentions of bending the rules, stating that she stands firmly on principles of ethics and has a strong belief in fairness and accountability.
Addressing the issue of education, Vincent said that Lethem is in dire need of a technical and vocational training centre where young people and school leavers can have an opportunity to further their education without leaving the town. “There’s too much teenage pregnancy here. We need to focus on giving these young girls the opportunity to go further. They are brilliant and talented but the options are limited” the Town Clerk noted.
One person’s vision,however laudable,will not amount to much unless it is backed by apolitical will.
After fifty years,we urgently need a development Blueprint for that Town. there is need for the coming together of all stakeholders to hammer out a broad vision which can then be broken down into achievable five years target /goals.