$16 million Lapidary opens at Monkey Mountain

First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger on Friday commissioned $16 million Pakaraima Lapidary at Monkey Mountain, Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight), which she said would give residents an opportunity to produce attractive value-added gems.

The facility, which was funded by the Government of Guyana, was constructed by the residents. The cost includes 30 feet by 20 feet concrete building, the purchasing of modern technical lapidary equipment and the furnishing and the training of ten young persons from the community in the identification, cutting, polishing and shaping of semi-precious stones at the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI) in Brazil.

Mrs Granger encouraged them to utilise the opportunity to raise the value of their product and/or business, as it could increase revenue in the community.

The First Lady said she was pleased to open the facility which represents a convergence of the Government’s plans for development. She also reminded residents of President David Granger’s Ten Point Plan for Hinterland Development and the Decade of Development, which begins in 2020.

“The opening of this Lapidary represents the convergence of fulfilment of some of these promises because it combines poverty reduction, employment and youth service, happy households, cultural development and sustainable tourism development,” she said.

The First Lady noted that the precious and semiprecious stones will be “valuable additions to Guyana’s Tourism product”.

Additionally, the First Lady handed over a four-wheel All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to the community, along with two wheelchairs, several walkers, other medical items and a quantity of sporting equipment. A tractor and trailer were also handed over.

Meanwhile, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mr Sydney Allicock called for continued partnership between Government and the residents.

He said that the donations made to the community are a sign that the Government has been working and is not asleep. He reminded that work on the Lapidary commenced in 2018 and it is now functional.

 “It is now coming together and it is now coming to bear and it is because of the efforts we put together with the community. Development is about partnerships, the Government cannot do everything alone and that is why we believe in partnerships,” Minister Allicock said. (Extracted and modified from Ministry of the Presidency)