–sees it as an improvement on last year’s projections

WITH just a day to go before everyone knows what’s in store for them in Budget 2019, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock is already anticipating immense benefits for each and every Guyanese.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Minister Allicock is confident that the 2019 budget, when presented by Finance Minister Winston Jordan tomorrow, will give every Guyanese hope for a productive future.

He said that for starters, the administration will be building on the foundation that was put in place when the coalition government entered office in 2015; that the APNU+AFC government has always presented annual budgets that cater to the need of every strata of society, and that following-on from the “Fit and Proper” Budget that was presented in 2018, he is confident that 2019’s will cater for further advancements.

Said he in the statement: “Budget 2019 will definitely give hope, and I’m also confident that it will give our young people the opportunity to excel in their areas of expertise.
“I’m seeing that young people are finding themselves, and their skills will help them to grow with the support that the ministry will be giving.

“It will be one for the communities, and with the limited resources that we have, we have seen the willingness of communities, if not all, the majority on board with projects that enable them to have economic benefits.”
Minister Allicock seized the opportunity to note that budgets presented over the past three years have sought to bridge that division of which he speaks, particularly in the hinterland, which was evident when the coalition government took office.

He said that the government, ever mindful of these divisions, has taken steps to ensure that there is cohesion in keeping with its mandate of fostering a cohesive nation.
“When we came into government,” he said, “we noticed the division of communities, politically mainly. And in some instances we had religious divisions where we noticed about six religious groups not necessarily agreeing as they should, and we have been able to work with those communities to look at the bigger picture for the sake of humanity.”

STRATEGIC MEASURES
A critical area of consideration, he said, is taking strategic measures to address the social ills of society. “We have been able to have welfare officers placed in various regions that did not have prior to now, and they are doing a great job out there,” he said, adding:
“And while it is not perfect, we continue to find the weaknesses; persons in communities who are very articulate they have great vision, and the approach is to listen and to allow the people on their own strength come up with ideas that the ministry and the government will support.”

According to the statement, 10 welfare officers are currently in the employ of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and are spread across the Hinterland to better serve the Indigenous population, as catered for in the 2018 Budget.
Minister Allicock also reflected on the many strides that were made due to strategic budgetary allocation in the three years the coalition’s been in office, such as the thriving sustainable economic activities coming out of the Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) Programme, the Bina Hill Institute, and training provided by the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST).

One of the transformative projects which came out of the 2018 Budget, he recalled, was the flagship Hinterland “Green” Enterprise Development Centre, which is being constructed at a cost of $200M at the Bina Hill Institute in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Noting that some $79M was allocated to commence construction of the facility, Minister Allicock said the decision was essential, since it will ensure job creation for hinterland communities, and focus on training in the areas but not limited to Indigenous and traditional knowledge. It will also cater to influencing upstream demand for local products and services.

A LAPIDARY CENTRE
There was also the establishment of a Lapidary Centre, which is expected to create employment for youths in Monkey Mountain and nearby villages of Tuseneng, Kurukabaru and Kato.

During a meeting at Monkey Mountain with Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe early this year, villagers reportedly agreed on the location for the construction of the $10M facility, which, according to the Department of Public Information, was a key step in the realisation of the state-of-the-art facility. The 2018 Budget is also said to have made provision for Information Communication Technology programmes for hinterland communities, which cost the government a tidy $200M-plus.

Minister Allicock said he is optimistic that Budget 2019 will continue with government’s developmental agenda of ensuring Guyana is poised to realise tremendous benefits.