SOME 16 communities within Region Nine on Thursday received $20M worth in presidential grants for various projects.
The cheques were handed over to Toshaos and village leaders just after the opening ceremony of the second annual Regional Toshaos Conference themed, “Good Governance- A brighter future for Guyana’s first peoples.”

The village of Kumu received $800,000 for the construction of a village benab, Nappi received $1M for the upgrading of the Farm to Market Road, Kaicumbay received $800,000 for the construction of a village pavilion, while Churikadnau received the same amount for the construction of a storage bond.

Other villages which benefitted from this year’s presidential grant include Crash Water, $1M for the upgrading of 3 kilometer road; Annai, $1M for the community’s sewing project; Aranaputa, $1M for the construction of a village ranch; Karandarnau, $1, 499, 980 for the construction of a pavilion; Katoka, $1M for the construction of a well and trestle; Meriwaa, $800,000 for the construction of a village office; Aishalton, $1, 500,000 for the fencing of a farming area and repairs to a bridge; Sawariwau received $1,200,000 for the furnishing of village office and repairs to the community’s minibus; Awarewaunau village received the same amount for the expansion of the village; Karasabai received $1,500,000 for the furnishing of the community’s village office; Parishara received $800,000 for the construction of a hot meal kitchen while Rupertee received $500,000 for capital works.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo who was the feature speaker at the opening of the two-day conference told Toshaos that despite naysayers, the presidential grants for 2018 represented his government’s commitment to the continued development of Indigenous peoples.

Nagamootoo disclosed that in presidential grants alone, some $243.6M has been budgeted. He said too that 57 villages are benefitting from $57.8M. “There has been no progressive level of neglect…it is not true,” the Prime Minister said in response to former Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, who was accompanied by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira and Member of Parliament, Allister Charlie.

“There is always support for villages but Toshaos must come up with plans for projects in their villages,” he stated while adding that going forward, Indigenous leaders must modernise their approach to leadership.