IN spite of several challenges, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MLGRD) has recorded a successful 2014, achieving many milestones in its operations during the course of the year.

This was the assessment of Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Norman Whittaker at the LGRD Ministry’s annual end-of-year press conference yesterday.

Minister Whittaker noted that the ministry has made strides in developing Guyana’s infrastructure and safeguarding the integrity of its sanitation in 2014, and hopes to continue along that line in 2015.

PROGRESS FOR 2014
He alluded to the fact that an increased budgetary allocation for 2014 allowed the ministry to widen its efforts at providing support to the ten Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) in terms of assisting in the development of Education, Health Care, Public Works, Agriculture, and Administration and Finance.

To this end, he noted that the LGRD ministry was allocated a sum of $26.9B in the 2014 budget, which was used to not only carry out the operations of the ministry, but also to assist many other ministries; for example, in the Education sector, the LGRD Ministry assisted financially in the extensions of schools across the country, so that more children can have opportunity to gain a sound education.

“Also the ministry in 2014 assisted in the Health sector by assisting in the constructing of Health Care centres across the country; and also, when the chikungunya virus was a major issue, the MLGRD procured several fogging machines for Guyana’s Health sector”, Whittaker told reporters.

That apart, he said the ministry was also responsible for the Amerindian Village Councils having all the necessary resources to carry out their operations, and for paying the various toshaos.

PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN
Recently, the MLGRD embarked on a number of projects, some of which were the Indian, Brazil, and South America (IBSA) project which mainly targeted the development and rehabilitation of markets across the country.
Minister Whittaker said the ministry also continued to promote the Youth Employment and Reconciliation Project (YERP), which entails children/youths benefiting from various skill training.

During the YERP, the ministry developed a number of information communication technology (ICT) hubs in Regions 3 and 5, where youths again were seen benefiting from this initiative.

Minister Whittaker further noted that, earlier in 2014, the ministry embarked on what was listed as one of its largest projects yet — the ‘Clean-up My Country’ campaign, which sought to clean up Guyana holistically. In the campaign, many communities benefited from many clean-up exercises which saw trenches being de-silted, bulk waste collected, rehabilitation effected to various access roads in the 10 administrative regions, and general cleaning of public spaces.

He noted that, as part of the campaign, the ministry procured a number of machines which included 5 mini-excavators; 6000 garbage bins and a number of garbage bags, and many other apparatus which would be used during the campaign and would also be available for other operations that fall under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

KEEP IT CLEAN
Minister Whittaker also took the opportunity to urge persons in Guyana to assist in maintaining the cleanliness which the ministry, and by extension the Government, is trying to uphold countrywide.
He urged persons to stop littering and try to assist the ministry in its venture to create a cleaner and better Guyana. (Navendra Seoraj)