– Minister Ali
MINISTER of Housing and Water, Mr. Irfaan Ali, on a recent four-day visit to Region One (Barima/Waini), said: “Today, more than ever before, we can celebrate the accomplishments of our hinterland people.” He was speaking at Sebai Primary School, one of his stops whole assessing the water situation in light of the prolonged El Nino phenomenon that has caused tremendous hardship to most hinterland communities.
The tour also took him and his team to several communities, including Barabina, Kamwatta, Mabaruma, White Water, Wauna, Tobago Hill, Wanaina, Hosororo, Koberimo, Kokerite, Kumaka, Port Kaituma, Arakaka, Eclipse Falls and Matthews Ridge.
The riverine community of Sebai, which has a population of about 300 people, will benefit, in two weeks time, from a $7M intervention to ensure adequate water supply, Ali announced at a meeting where he listened to residents’ concerns.
He said the solar pumping system is going to include standpipes for the school and health centre and across the community.
Ali said the facility will comprise overhead storage, the solar system, the network and labour and admonished the residents to ensure they care it.
He said, in the budget is the solar home improvement system through which Government is giving homes to operate basic equipment and Sebai is one of the communities earmarked for receipt.
One of the councillors, Mr. Worrel Benjamin asked if persons from the village can be trained in carpentry to bolster housing development in the village.
Ali said he is pleased the community is thinking that way, as when people live together in a community-oriented fashion, it is easier for Government to render services to them.
He said there is a hinterland housing pilot programme which is being tested in various communities and, once it is successful, it is going to be extended to others.
Ali said he is also happy that the community is thinking about skills training and five forms will be sent there for persons to apply for programmes at the Kuru Kuru College.
Praising the Government for its work, another resident requested some tools to help in their agricultural pursuits and one more made a request for a fence to be erected around the compound and a computer for the school.
The villagers are currently engaged in some cash crop farming and the Toshao, Mr. Herbie Campbell said they hope to embark on a fishing venture.
He said the villagers are thankful to Government for the system which will improve water supply lauded the various programmes being executed to improve the lives of hinterland communities.
Lives
Ali told the gathering there are a number of national developments that would affect the lives of every single Guyanese.
“It is important that you know what is happening all across Guyana, because it affects you, ultimately,” Ali emphasized.
He said, importantly, the investments have to cover ten regions and a large section of the land mass comprises of hinterland areas, while a smaller part of the coast has a huge population.
“We still, however, as a Government, believe, strongly, in ensuring equity. That is all our people must have equal access to basic infrastructure like water, education and health,” Ali stated.
He said, over the last few years under this Government, there has been an increasing number of hinterland students benefitting from scholarships and Amerindians are even Ministers in the Government.
“Amerindians are taking their rightful place in this country. Not only are Amerindians specialists in hunting, farming and so on. They are also very intelligent people who are working to transform Guyana, working every day to help us build a stronger country,” Ali acknowledged.
“So, I think that, today, more than ever, we can celebrate the accomplishments of our Amerindian brothers and sisters.
“It shows that the Government has a strong commitment to the Amerindian people and the Government believes, strongly, that Amerindians must, should and would contribute greatly to national development,” he added.
Ali said, in the 2010 budget, the Government has set aside $800M for a school feeding programme, to which Sebai, too, is beneficiary from hot meals.
“But we want to encourage you that, instead of depending on foodstuff coming in for the hot meals programme, we can farm our own stuff here, so that we create the employment right here,” he urged, noting that they can get more benefits as a result.
Ali recalled that, when this Government assumed office, 97 cents of every revenue dollar had to go towards paying debt but, today, it has managed to use only 30 cents of each dollar for that purpose. Consequently, it can invest more through programmes like the school feeding one, the Presidential Grant and the Livelihood Option for the hinterland.
Increase
He also said Government has been able to increase old age pension and public assistance, explaining: “Though it is nowhere close to where we want it to be, all of this has been done since we took office. So there is still, indeed, a lot of work to be done but we believe, strongly, as the Government, that, once we work with you and once you work with us, we will be able to build a stronger country.
“And we depend on you, the people of Sebai, to continue supporting us, so that we can be there to ensure that we continue to do things to improve your lives,” the Minister asserted.
He mentioned the modern ophthalmology centre at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice, that will benefit not only persons on the coast but throughout Guyana.
“This is another very important development,” Ali noted.
He said, although countries in the Caribbean, such as Antigua, Jamaica, Barbados and Grenada have serious problems in their economies, because of the global economic crisis, Guyana’s economy grew last year.
“This tells that, indeed, the Government is doing a good job at managing the economy,” Ali maintained.
He referred to the Takutu River Bridge linking Guyana and its neighbor, Brazil, stating that it is important, even for the people of Sebai.
“Because more people coming into the country means that we have to get more food available, which means that we have to get more agricultural output and then, as we have better transport to our neighbours, there will be demand for our products,” Ali reasoned.
He said Guyanese people have to ensure that they benefit from the huge investments by Government.
Turning to the water problem, Ali said not only Guyana but fellow Caribbean countries are experiencing it and he cited the example of Trinidad which closed bottling factories and are rationing the flow.
Ali said, in many local communities, there is a water crisis point, too, with hundreds of farmers’ crops suffering and the conservancies now almost dry.
“We are faced with a crisis, not of our own doing but one that we cannot control,” he admitted and pointed out that there has not been any clear assurance or guidelines as to when rain will come.
Blaming climate change and global warming, Ali underlined the importance of the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
“The LCDS is a visionary strategy that our President, Bharrat Jagdeo came up with and, today, he is respected throughout the world as one of the leading thinkers and one of the movers and shakers, in terms of the environment and global warming,” Ali said.
He went on: “The LCDS is now an international strategy. It is now all over and we have some people in Guyana, they are not
concerned about development. All they are concerned about is criticise, criticise and criticise.
“They are not positive, they are very negative. So, even on this strategy that the world has accepted as visionary, as a masterpiece, they are negative about it here. But we have to persevere as a people. We have to ensure, as a people, that the LCDS is implemented, because it is very important and necessary for the well-being of the planet and for the future of Guyana.”
Ali said the LCDS is not about stopping people from utilising the forest.
“It is about us becoming responsible for how we use the forests.”
He said it also saves the Earth and, very importantly for Guyana, it is a development strategy and tremendous revenue will be garnered as a result of it.
Ali reminded that Government has made it very clear that the money is going to be utilised “to improve the lives of our people.”
He touched, as well, on the hydropower project which will attract more industries and create more job opportunities and wealth that can enable more development.
Another important project, Ali identified, is the fibre optic cable that Government will be installing.