RESIDENTS in riverine and far-flung hinterland communities will soon benefit from two boats and engines which were donated to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

The 250 feet vessels and 70 horsepower outboard engines were presented to the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, by the Guyana Revenue Authority today at the Marine police wharf, Ruimveldt. The donated vessels will be distributed to those indigenous communities that have pressing transportation issues that need to be addressed. “…We intend to make good use of this of course after we would have had a discussion with the most needed communities in those areas and we know that transportation is of great importance to our hinterland communities,” Minister Allicock told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The minister said consideration will also be given to residents in communities along the Berbice and Demerara rivers and Region One who are in dire need of assistance to transport their produce from the farms to the markets. This is the first of several transport vessels that will be handed over to hinterland communities in 2018. Some six (6) villages will receive outboard engines and ten (10) villages will receive grants to construct boats. Moreover, four (4) ATVs will be bought in 2018 to serve communities of Regions Two, Eight and Nine.