PUBLIC consultations are to be held on the possible name changes for the 10 Administrative Regions in keeping with the Government’s agenda of providing for regional empowerment and regional pride.Speaking in the National Assembly Wednesday, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan said that the consultations led by the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) in the 10 Administrative Regions, will begin early in 2017 to allow “people to be consulted on whether they wish to maintain the names given to their regions or if they wish to have another name.”
Minister Bulkan explained that in 1980 when the Local Government Systems were created, names were given to regions.
“It was not meant to be permanent,” the minister stated.
He said that “36 years later, most of our regions are referred to by numbers. That tells us either that the name does not resonate or that they are too cumbersome.”
Minister Bulkan questioned, “How many persons, for example, do we hear say, they are from the East Berbice, Corentyne Region? Not many. It is commonly referred to as Region Six.”
He noted that it is same for the remaining nine administrative regions. He explained that the consultation is to find out whether persons would want a different name for their regions that resonate more with them.