President, Dr Irfaan Ali recently told residents of Wakenaam that while the newly commissioned well at Noitgedacht will bring 24-hour access to water, the investment in the infrastructure will also lead to the economic prosperity of families.
He stated at the commissioning of the new facility that in order to get Wakenaam and the rest of Guyana equipped for the food production revolution, infrastructural upgrades are imperative.
These upgrades are necessary, according to the Head of State, to improve the production and productive capacity of the country and to reduce the cost of production, while building and maintaining standards to enter regional and international markets.
“It is for this reason that we are making investments in every single region, targeting the economic output that will bring prosperity to every single family. And we see Wakenaam as an important island that will play a critical part in the development of our food production system for the Caribbean. Therefore, we cannot look at the infrastructure investment and development in isolation of the macro plan.”
The well, the President added, is a positive start and will benefit approximately 3500 residents.
The $50M well is part of the Government’s wider developmental plan; additional investments in infrastructure include the rehabilitation of roads, sea defences and provision of drainage and irrigation equipment.
The construction of the well by the staff of GWI, the President added, has resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in cost, with a design life cycle of 30 years.
President Ali also announced that a US$6.3m water treatment plant will also be constructed in Noitgedacht to provide 100 percent treated water to residents. He said too that his government will also be investing in a 750-kilowatt solar power system at a cost $2.3m to provide clean and reliable energy to the residents. This system, he added, is expected to commence within two months. He further explained that in the next three years, the entire road network on the Island will be done in phases. Already, $500m has been expended on drainage, irrigation, and sea defence.
