Region Ten contractors overlooked for projects – MP Figueira

OVERLOOKING Region Ten contractors for projects gravely concerns opposition legislator
Mr. Jermaine Figueira who warns of the snowballing effects the harmful decision will have on
the resource-rich, poverty-stricken hilly sand and clay area.
In a press conference circulated on social media, Figueira roasted Regional Executive Officer
(REO) Mr. Dwight John and his PPP (Peoples Progressive Party) colleagues for stifling
economic growth and development of Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region Ten) by bypassing
skilled workers of the bauxite-mining area and importing labour to undertake projects.
“I am told that most of the capital projects were issued to people outside of the region. How are
we going to develop our people in this region if the contracts are issued to people outside of the
region? He queried in the Facebook post.
The Member of Parliament (MP) is adamant that Region Ten has the capacity to execute the
tasks.
For example, the MP said lands on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway is cleared of weeds by non-
residents when there is an abundance of owners with grass-cutting machines that could have
been employed.
“Imagine the Linden/Soesdyke Highway being weeded by outsiders when we have numerous
young people with grass cutters right here in the region and they are not given those contracts,”
the MP stressed.
He pointed out too that the Region Ten Regional Democratic Council (RDC) secured Giftland, a
city-based business organisation, to supply photocopying paper and other supplies, effectively
ignoring firms in the mining community.
“Imagine Giftland has gotten a contract to supply the RDC with paper and pens and we have
small businesses right here in the community that are not being allowed to grow because the

REO and members of the tender board want to be political (while) trumpeting about regional
development,” Figueira complained.
The MP said that agriculture can contribute significantly to the regional economy but this too is
strangled by the ‘importation mentality’ of the politically biased RDC. Farmers in West
Watooka, Figueira argued, are in dire needs of support but they too are punished by the
‘importation mentality’. He promised he and his colleague (Devine Sears) will continue to
champion for the people of Region Ten as their parliamentary representatives.
“We believe that we have the resources (such as) arable lands that could provide us with
abundant supplies of food. However, we are importing more than 70 percent of our food needs in
this region and this must end. We need the canals to be dug, we need the Millie’s Hideout road to
be fixed, we have a lot of residents who have lands that they can’t access because of the state of
the Millie’s Hideout road. These are some of the requests that residents have asked us to ensure
that are included in the 2021 budget,” the MP stressed.
MP Figueira blasted regional authorities for excluding the peoples’ representatives from budget
preparation
“None of these figure heads have come to the RDC and presented their budget proposals
was informed by the elected officials so that an informed decision can be made. Now they
are asking for the support of the RDC, support for what?” he queried.