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Granger re-launches Linden economic arm with $115M
The Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) was officially launched yesterday by President David Granger and 40 entrepreneurs from across Region Ten, received their loans to further facilitate their business ventures.
President David Granger and LEN CEO Valerie Adams-Patterson assist as a child cuts the ceremonial ribbon
This was made possible through the $155 million that was appropriated to the entity by Government in this year’s budget.
Chief Executive Officer of LEN, Valerie Adams-Patterson, in her presentation reflected on the transition from the Linden Economic Advancement Fund (LEAF) to LEN.
She said that LEN was just operational and could not meet the objective of giving credit to the people of Region Ten.
LEN’s first board was established after five years of the entity’s existence, Patterson declared.
“We were like a seesaw; we were told that we could not be given any money unless a board was in place, yet the Government of the day failed to put the board in place.
“You should know by now that there had to be some sinister plan to stymie the development of LEN, Linden and Region Ten. But thanks to the coalition government, from the very first meeting with the Minister of Finance LEN was on the government’s agenda and it remained there.”
In the first national budget of the new government $155 million was appropriated to LEN.
She reflected on the embarrassment the entity faced when requests for loans could not be granted, and on the pressure faced by her staff, who were never sure whether they would be paid at the end of the month.
Patterson also alluded to the debts that were incurred, because there was no money to pay bills.
“We were really tired of owing people – almost everybody that provided us with a service we could not pay them and that included LECI, who we owed for electricity. But today I could proudly say that we owe no man. All our woes were taken care of.”
Patterson said that the focus of both LEAP and LEAF was job creation, and that that focus now continues with LEN.
Kensil Grenville, Chairman of the LEN Board of Directors, said that “progress is here and more will happen, as the very fact that we are gathered here today for the launching of LEN is success… is progress” as it relates to the big picture.
“Progress is happening all across this country, even in Linden. It might not be at the pace that some of us want it, and that is understandable because of the long wait for progress. But make no mistake, progress is here and more will happen.”
President Granger, who delivered the feature address, exhorted residents to think outside of the box, and to seek out new business ventures, such as those in agriculture.
He encouraged residents to each plant a breadfruit tree as business could be found in making breadfruit chips as an alternative to plantain chips. Linden alone could produce two million pounds of breadfruit every year.
The president said that the glory days of bauxite have passed; a lot of synthetic materials are being used, making certain raw materials almost obsolete.
Granger likened the dependency on wage labour to an addiction and exhorted residents to stop this addiction and become enterprising. He emphasised that there is no reason for Region Ten to be poor with its vast land and resources, and its strategic position.
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