COORDINATOR of the Youth Empowerment Inclusion and Reconciliation Programme (YEIRP), Mr. Vickram Bharrat disclosed, last Thursday, that the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is the implementing agency for the project.

The YEIRP is a US$150,000 scheme aimed at addressing the challenges of inadequate youth participation in governance and persistent social changes that deprive them of their rights and is being executed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Giving an update on it, he said the office is being housed at the ministry and reports directly to the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Collin Croal.
Bharrat explained that the YEIRP entailed the selection of 30 youths from across the six coastal regions of Guyana, being Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10, who are, currently, awaiting the confirmation of a consultant to commence training.
He informed that YEIRP is at a stage where consultants, who have expressed interest, will soon be asked to resubmit a detailed financial and technical proposal to the National Tender Board for evaluation and final awarding.
“So, as soon as that process is completed, we are looking at beginning training in November, because we know that those persons who have been selected are eagerly waiting and we will be working steadfastly to ensure that the selection of the consultants is done in a timely manner, so that the actual training can begin in November,” Bharrat said.
He pointed out that the project involves information communication technology (ICT) hubs in the six targeted Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and is something the project office has been working on and hopes to accomplish soon.
According to Bharrat, as the eight months training begins, the participants in all the identified regions will have access to those ICT hubs and then those selected would be placed in the local government entities throughout Guyana.