By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali, on Saturday, announced the creation of a housing area in Williamsburg, East Berbice, Corentyne in the next four months that will provide direct employment for 1,000 persons.

The project will begin with some 100 houses and increase to 200 houses by the first quarter of 2021, the President disclosed, at a meeting with residents at Train Line, Port Mourant, East Berbice, Corentyne.

“In this community, we have the Williamsburg area; before the end of the year you will see work commencing in this area because we will create a new housing development. We will be spending more than $2.8B from the Central Government level and will create new infrastructure that will support drainage and irrigation, agriculture, bridges, education and health care,” he said.

The President, during the meeting, also used the opportunity to address the COVID-19 pandemic. He called on residents to take the necessary precautions even as the Government is working towards intensifying the fight throughout the country.

“There are many opportunities that will unfold itself in Region Six. Within the next four months we will be back here to give you a broad outline of the new opportunities that will be available here in Region Six but as I said, today we are coming at a time when we know we are faced with a great pandemic, the COVID-19. I want to appeal to you to take this pandemic seriously; wear your mask. We are working on many fronts; we are trying to get the vaccine when it becomes available here as fast as possible. We are supporting the hospitals, the medical workers with
PPEs. Yesterday (last Friday), we had 28 additional ventilators in the country; we are working on putting in 19 more ICU beds at the Liliendaal COVID-19 facility. They are working on bringing six of these beds in operation by Monday.

Meanwhile, addressing issues related to nurses, sugar workers and the disciplined forces, the President asked for patience as the Government works towards delivering on its promise to improve the lives of every citizen.

“The investment we are making in sugar is geared at making it sustainable. The socio-economic impacts in the communities are too important for us to ignore; our commitment to the nurses have not weakened a bit; our commitment to the nurses and every single worker in this country will be realised. We have already set aside $150 M for frontline workers in the healthcare sector. Our police, army workers, sugar workers ,doctors, nurses, they all deserve better and will get better under this Government. I asked them for patience – give us a bit more time, have some patience, do not let politics stray you. We are going to deliver to you but we are coming from a broken system, a broken economy. Things will get better and as things get better we will do more for you, we will make your lives more comfortable,” he said.