– region looks to year-end completion
Seventeen businesspersons have already applied for spots at the Belvedere Industrial Site on the Corentyne, which had been developed with roads, a concrete bridge, drains and electricity a few years ago.
Stabroek News visited the site last month and noted that the infrastructure was in place but that some sections of the land still needed to be filled.
In an interview with this newspaper recently, Chairman of Region Six Zulfikar Mustapha was optimistic that the development of the site, including land-filling would be completed before the end of the year.
Among the applications that the chairman has received was one from Puran Brothers Inc, which runs a garbage and waste disposal service.
This company has its headquarters in the city, but was recommended by Go-Invest as it is also interested in setting up a ready-mix cement service.
There have been applications for other businesses such as a furniture factory and a garment manufacturing company.
The chairman said the approval for the other businesses would be based on recommendations by the Chambers of Commerce in Berbice.
Sixteen plots of land would be available and Mustapha said he would welcome other applications from outside the region.
The Hampshire/Kilcoy Neighbourhood Democratic Council where the site is located would be collecting the revenue generated from the businesses.
The industrial site was initially supposed to be established in New Amsterdam but according to the chairman, the location was changed after “the Town Council wanted government to pay for the land.”
This newspaper spoke to a few residents in the Belvedere area and they were elated to learn that the long-awaited industrial site would finally become a reality.
According to them, “For the past 10 years we hearing about the industrial site and up to now it we can’t see anything yet; we glad if it come though.”
The residents pointed out too that since the infrastructure was put in a few years ago no other work was done on the 12-acre plot of land.
They are eager for it to finally become a reality as it would be a boost for the community by providing more job opportunities and more “spending power” while persons “would feel better to earn their own money.”
Public Relations Officer of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Adrian Anamayah was also optimistic about the industrial site, saying it was an “excellent idea for Berbice.”
According to him, “Some people are just not grabbing the bull by the horns; they are waiting on government to put in more infrastructure before they apply [for spots] but enough is there already for them to start.”
He was also of the view that “once one person makes a start all the spaces would be filled up. I think if they don’t make use of the plots they would lose a valuable opportunity.”
There were a few residents though who did not know the reason for government putting in the infrastructure and felt that the area was being developed for house lots.
Other residents felt that for any business to be successful at that location a feasibility study would first have to be done.
They commented that a hollow block factory was set up at the spot a few years ago but “fell apart…”
Some persons said that the area is “swampy” and feel that it would not be able to withstand heavy duty machinery unless it is dug almost three feet deep and filled to a higher level.
In June 2007, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Com-merce Manniram Prashad had announced that work was ongoing on the design and layout of the site.
He had said that the work was expected to accelerate development of local businesses.
The minister, accompanied by officials of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce had inspected the work and a reinforced concrete bridge was in place at that time.
The then chamber president Jadoonauth Persaud had told Prashad that three of the 16 plots had already been taken and application forms were available for the remainder. The businessman had partially developed his three plots, the Government Infor-mation Agency had said in a release.
Persaud had said that in excess of $19 million had been spent up to that time on infrastructural work at the site, including land filling which was completed in 2006.
At the time too, the minister had said that the industrial estate will realize its full potential with the completion of the Berbice River Bridge and had pledged his ministry’s continued support for the development of the estate.
