Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, and country representative for the Inter American Development Bank, Marco Nicola, yesterday inked a contract for a loan agreement that will facilitate the Linden water supply Rehabilitation Programme, and the Caribbean Regional Wastewater Management (CReW) Project, on the lawns of the Linden Enterprise Network on Republic Avenue, Linden.Major stakeholders in Linden and officials from the housing, water and finance sectors were on hand to witness the event.The $12 million loan will benefit residents of Linden by improving water quality and the efficiency of the water supply system, IDB representative, Marco Nicola, said. These improvements will be achieved through a reduction in energy usage, improved water pressure and quality and continuity of the water supply system.There will also be a reduction in the level of non revenue water, and the strengthening of GWI’s performance in terms of operation and maintenance practices, he added.Dr Ashni Singh and IDB representative Marco Nicola sign the agreementRegional Chairman,Cheap Jerseys From China, Mortimer Mingo, was elated at the signing of the contract. “I think that today is a red letter day for the people of Linden and Region Ten, since as far as my recollection goes this is the first time that a contract of this nature is being signed outside of Georgetown.”He congratulated both the IDB and the Guyana Government for the initiative, and said that the wide consultations that were done by the? IDB, GWI and the residents of Linden prior to its implementation certainly augurs well as it relates to the ownership of the project by the people of Linden.Mingo added that the initiative speaks not only to the upgrading of the water supply system, but with the amount of money being injected into the project, he expressed optimism that it would serve as an economic stimulus, for the people of Linden, through the provision of jobs.Both Minister of Housing and Water,Cheap China Jerseys, Irfaan Ali, and Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, expressed pleasure at the signing of the agreement, with the IDB. Singh spoke at length of several initiatives by Government, including the Amaila project.Ali said that the project was truly a project developed with the people of Linden by the people of Linden and for the people of Linden.He said that the Linden Water supply rehabilitation project will add US$12.3 million, or $2.5 billion as investment in the water sector over the next three years, in Region Ten.Ali said that more than $700million was invested in the water sector over the past four to five years,Cheap Jerseys From China, and that did not include the new project in Linden.He pointed out that if an investment per capita was done, it would show that $18,Wholesale Authentic Soccer Jerseys,000 would have been invested for every individual in Linden for water alone.He added that the project would see two modern water treatment plants, one at Wisroc and one at Amelia’s Ward. “There will be two new ground storage reservoirs, with capacity for 3,500 cubic metres of water at Amelia’s Ward, and 2,700 cubic metres at Wisroc.There will be one elevated storage reservoir, and three booster stations at Wisroc which will be fifteen metres high. The booster stations came about as a result of consultations with residents who made the recommendation because of the topography of the area, Ali said.The booster stations were considered critical in making the investment in the water sector viable, he added.There will also be the installation of 3.4 km of transmission mains on the western section, and 3.6 km on the eastern section.IDB country representative Marco Nicola, in his address before the signing of the contract,Wholesale Jerseys China, said that the IDB presence in Linden goes back in time. He mentioned the first low income Settlement Programme, the urban Development Programme, and the Linden Hospital Complex, all of which the IDB contributed significantly to.“The collaboration between the IDB and the Government of Guyana in the water sector goes way back in time.The bank has worked with GWI during periods of change, and through difficult times- and the trust and working relationship grew, and brought about a solid partnership which saw a steady improvement in the supply of water in the country, and better sanitation and waste management”, Nicola told the gathering.He pointed to the US$14.7 million Georgetown Water Supply and Sewer Programme, which was completed in 2010.The IDB’s support? to GWI has seen significant improvements, in its ‘operating efficiencies’ in Georgetown.The IDB is also currently financing two technical grants- one for the financial and institutional strengthening of GWI to the tune of US$