About LEAP

LEAP is a Government of Guyana and European Union programme with the objective of fostering entrepreneurship and enterprise for economic development of the town of Linden.

	Annual Report 2004
	Previous Annual Reports

In the face of continued decline of the bauxite industry in Region 10, and the consequent severe economic dislocations, the Government of Guyana and European Union initiated efforts to expand Region 10’s economic base through the diversification of the local economy away from the traditional bauxite dependency. The Linden Economic Advancement Programme LEAP was launched in 2002 with a planned injection of Euro €12 million for the execution of the project over a seven year period.

LEAP is intended to be a means for the achievement of economic diversification of Region 10 through increased investment, and emergence of a viable entrepreneurial sector. These objectives are being pursued through establishment of the LEAP Business Incubator which is nurturing fledging businesses, provision of training and business support services to an active client base throughout Region 10, facilitation of new investments, and rehabilitation of economic infrastructure. These activities are under girded by a continuous public education programme.

The Linden Economic Advancement Fund (LEAF) is a complementary programme to LEAP, and is established for the provision of accessible micro small and medium credit facilities in support of economic activities.

LEAP also supports the institutional strengthening of the Municipal and Regional Administrations of Linden and Region 10 respectively, as well as the Linden Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Development. Relationships for the support of local businesses have been established and are being strengthened with national agencies such as the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest).