GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC -Guyana has reiterated its intention to ensure the survival of the bauxite industry as the Chinese-owned BOSAI Minerals commissioned its multi-million dollar project in Linden on Friday.
“We are not neglecting the traditional sectors of the economy. We are investing in industries and sectors, hoping to add value to their products so that they can earn more money. That is why the aluminum plants are critical to the modernization and transformation of our country,” President Dr. Irfaan Ali said during the commissioning of the new Kin and the US$115 million Maz Project.
“We hope the necessary investments will move bauxite production higher up the value chain. Bauxite has a guaranteed future in Guyana,” he added.
The new Kiln #15 is expected to increase efficiency and production costs. At the same time, the Maz Project is set to promote countless job opportunities for Lindeners, crafted to achieve mass production of metallurgical-grade bauxite.
Bauxite is used in the production of aluminum. Despite the challenges faced by the global bauxite industry over the last few years, BOSAI’s completion of Kiln #15 and commencement of the Maz Project speaks volumes about the positive outlook for Linden’s bauxite landscape.
President Ali said his administration strategically utilizes oil and gas resources to promote sustainability, especially in the natural resources sector.
“Our government has a sound track record of supporting the ailing industry for over a decade. We also intensified private ownership, and participation in bauxite mining, which allowed the recapitalization and continued operations,” Ali said.
Ali said that Linden, the second largest city in Guyana and capital of the Upper Demerara-Berbice region, will not be left out of the country’s rapid development and that his administration has embarked on a massive housing and infrastructural drive to expand the opportunities for investment in the region, as well as significantly enhance the living conditions of residents.
President Ali said as part of the agenda for accelerated infrastructural development, the contract for the Wismar bridge, connecting Wismar to Mackenzie, will be signed before the end of the year.
He reminded the audience of the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP), which outlines the government’s continued efforts to bring prosperity to the mining town and its environs.
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