– Radio stations for Mabaruma, Lethem

AN estimated $657.4M for the Prime Minister’s Secretariat was approved by the Parliamentary Committee of Supply on Monday evening, but not before it told of the major developmental plans to operationalize the National Communications Network (NCN) Satellite Uplink Facility and the establishment of two radio stations at Mabaruma and Lethem.

In this year’s budget, $125.3M was budgeted for the Prime Minister’s Secretariat under capital expenditure, while a whopping $501.1M was set aside under the recurrent expenditure.

It was People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament and former Junior Finance Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, who inquired into the $125M budgeted for NCN under capital expenditure.

And without any hesitation, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo disclosed that, in 2015, the APNU+AFC Government had budgeted a sum of $8M to facilitate Phase Two of the ‘Satellite Uplink Project.’

It was pointed out that, in 2015, $23M was spent on the ‘Satellite Uplink Facility’, thereby tapping into satellite TV. The facility allows the Learning Channel to transmit to far-flung regions of Guyana.

“By the end of February, NCN would have its own satellite uplink for the Learning Channel,” the Prime Minister explained.

Currently, the Television Guyana (TVG) is providing satellite uplink services for the Guyana Learning Channel -– a system which was initiated under the PPP/C Government. It was only in October that the APNU+AFC Government discovered a set of equipment belonging to NCN that has the capacity to perform the same service that TVG is providing at a hefty cost.

In addition to the Satellite Uplink, the Prime Minister further disclosed that $45M have been budgeted for the establishment of two community radio stations in Mabaruma and Lethem. “Our people need to be informed in face of threatens from our western neighbor, Venezuela.”

To facilitate the establishment of the two stations, broadcasting equipment, tricasters, UPS, radio automation systems and transmitters would be purchased.

The $125M budgeted under capital expenditure for the Prime Minister’s Secretariat will also be used for the provision of cubicles, network studios and biometric system in Georgetown, while light and solar panels will be bought for the Berbice area.