Lethem set for major transformation
– Brazil offers help
By Svetlana Marshall
WITH a population of approximately 5,000 persons, Lethem, a community situated in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, is set for major transformation; and according to Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock, Brazil has already offered its support.Allicock, in an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said his Regional Democratic Council (RDC) was given a mandate by President David Granger to transform the diverse community into a town.
He said top of the agenda for the plan of action is infrastructural development. He noted that neighbouring Brazil has signalled its willingness to assist in this regard. It was explained that two Brazilian companies have offered to assist in the development and construction of a drainage network and the re-designing of roads in the community.
“At the moment, we have no drainage network in place. Our Brazilian counterparts have volunteered to work with us to build roads and do landscaping,” Allicock explained.
However, the Region 9 Chairman said, for this partnership to bear fruit, it has to be done through a government-to-government arrangement through the foreign affairs ministries.
As part of infrastructural development, Allicock said, there is an urgent need for a fire station. “We have a fire tender but no servicemen, just volunteers. So we have spoken to the Minister of Communities so we can have trained people, paid people, people to be on standby; because recently we had about six fires, and by the time they got there, it was too late.”
Another area for development which has been placed on the table by the regional authorities is the improvement of the water supply system in the community. It was explained that though the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is in control of several drilled wells in the community and across Region 9, much more could be done to improve the quality of water being supplied to residents. Currently, there are 55 wells across the district, with more than 90% being photovoltaic (PV) system wells, while the remaining 10% includes hand-dug wells.
Allicock said while GWI, despite many challenges, is playing its role, residents of Lethem need to curb their attitude by conserving on the water being supplied. He contended that many residents are guilty of wasting water.
“At the moment people are not paying for water in Lethem, and so they just leave taps open. Broken mains are there just leaking,” he complained. Nevertheless, he said, with Lethem becoming a town, residents will soon have to pay for the water they use.
In the area of housing, he said residents will also be made to pay rates and taxes. He emphasised that this is critical in the development of a town.
“We have to start educating people that we now have to pay for rates and taxes and water, so when the time comes for them to pay, they wouldn’t be surprised, because we are running a township and we cannot run a town without revenues,” he explained.
Though the supply of electricity in Lethem has improved significantly since the acquisition of two new generator sets by the Lethem Power Company, Allicock said, the high cost of electricity still remains a burden on residents and the commercial sector.
Nevertheless, he welcomed government’s announcement to power the town using alternative energy sources, as he alluded to reconstruction of the Moco Moco hydro power plant. Under the previous administration, a small hydropower project was developed in Moco-Moco with assistance from the Government of China, but it was damaged by a landslide in 2003 and was never repaired.
In the lead-up to the May 11 elections, President Granger, speaking in the capacity of presidential candidate, pledged to transform Lethem into a full-fledged town under his administration.
At the time, he had pointed out that the Rupununi – at over 58,000 km² – was the largest region in the country, and was larger than Costa Rica and six times the size of Puerto Rico.
In support of his argument for Lethem to become a town, he further pointed out that, like Anna Regina and Rose Hall, Lethem already has its own aerodrome, banks, electricity and water supply, hospital, hotels, magistrate’s court, military and police stations, a port of entry, churches, schools supermarkets, hardware stores and other facilities.
Lethem has seen a high influx of Brazilians, who have moved in and established several businesses in recent years.
The area was named after Sir Gordon James Lethem, who was the Governor of British Guiana from 1941 to April 12, 1947.