President Dr. Irfaan Ali says that the urban plans for Silica City- which is set to become Guyana’s second and newest city- are being crafted through assistance from developers from Singapore.
Since 2013, the establishment of Silica City has been touted by President Ali, who was the Minister of Housing and Water then. It was highlighted that this city could be located near the Linden/Soesdyke Highway in Guyana’s hilly, sand and clay region.
Since his government was elected in 2020, President Ali and various Ministers of Government have talked up the establishment of this city.
And on Tuesday, while engaging investors during a Guyana investment seminar held at the Carlton House in the United Kingdom (UK), the President said that the government hopes to launch this project soon.
“We were working with the best in the business – developers from Singapore -on the urban plan for this new city,” the Guyanese Head of State disclosed.
Previously, Dr. Ali said that the government has already received overwhelming interest from potential investors.
Earlier this year, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal said that consultations are ongoing for the development of a shared utility corridor that will cater for all utilities at this new city to be routed underground.
And with these engagements ongoing, the President suggested that the millions in UK financing, earmarked for key developmental projects, could be harnessed. And he invited UK investors to capitalise on investment opportunities in Guyana.
“… in this investment forum, it is not only about understanding where the opportunities are but understanding how we can get to those and the resources that are there to support us in some of these opportunities,” Dr. Ali said.
This new city is expected to cater for approximately 50,000 people and over 12,500 households. Presently, the only city is Georgetown, which faces the threat of rising sea levels and flooding. (Vishani Ragobeer)