Latest update February 4th, 2025 5:54 AM
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IMPROVING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
No nation has ever developed without investing massively in infrastructure and indeed, this is why in the aftermath of the Second World War, Western Europe did so to ensure faster economic growth and development by creating jobs, providing better connectivity of people and communities and enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Investments in infrastructure also work as a force multiplier whereby the monies put into building roads, ports and airports etc., results in more growth because the huge sums spent on construction materials, wages, and production of other raw materials would help those industries to grow faster.
Good roads are needed for manufacturers to obtain raw materials and other products in the shortest span of time. Well-constructed ports are needed to reduce the waiting period of ships, avoid congestion at the ports and thus reduce the cost to exporters and importers. Similarly, there is a need to develop modern and efficient airports for freer and easier movement of people and goods to different countries.
Proper infrastructure is the mainstay of healthy and strong economies. It allows the nation to be able to quickly respond to the needs of the people, for example, in security or healthcare in the various communities. In Guyana there are strong areas of growth in the corridors of the country. This powers the manufacturing, mining, fishing and the agricultural industries and forestry, with the latter showing significant improvement in growth and providing consistent valuable returns over the past decade.
It is necessary for the government to create a strategy/plan to develop an all-weather road network over a 10-year period. This would increase production, create much needed employment and higher paying jobs as well as improve the economic situation in the sectors that are performing poorly.
For decades, governments have spent huge sums of money on road networks in the interior but the problem is, these roads require frequent and costly maintenance. It is clear the roads cannot handle heavy duty vehicles and the traffic that are needed to support economic activity in the remote areas of the country. The building of all-weather roads is expensive, but the economic returns and the overall growth of the nation depend on it. Operators who traverse these trails will also have to pay their share in the advancement of this important cause that ultimately benefits them. It is only fair that the responsibility/burden is shared.
The economy is at a critical juncture; we reiterate that it needs reliable and modern infrastructure to enable supply chains and efficiently allow for goods and services to move through these remote areas. This would make Guyana more attractive to foreign investors and provide expanded opportunities in energy distribution, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, education, healthcare and the communication sectors
Improved infrastructure has never been in more demand. There is the need for the government to commit itself to invest in these areas. The lives of the masses depend on it.
Infrastructure is crucial for any country’s image and Guyana is no exception. There is not one person who would disagree that injecting funds into improving how our surroundings look would be uplifting. The country needs such upliftment, but apart from the aesthetic value, any delay could incur huge economic losses for manufactures and the country as a whole.
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