PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has committed $13.2 million to the rehabilitation of three community grounds in East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) and announced that some $2.9 billion will be spent on infrastructural works in the region.

The President on a visit to the region on Saturday announced the allocation of $2.5 million to rehabilitate the Skeldon Line Path Ground; $9.5 million for the Train Line Community Ground in Port Mourant; and $1.2 million for the Angoy’s Avenue Ground in New Amsterdam.

Works vary at each of the three grounds but will include fencing, rehabilitation of facilities, cleaning and works on the fields.

Additionally, the Head of State also handed over sports gear to several clubs within the said communities.

During the visit, the President also used the opportunity to listen to the concerns of residents in each community and signalled his commitment to ensure that every promise made in the PPP/C’s manifesto is realised within the next five years.

Speaking directly to upcoming developments in Region Six, the Head of State noted that an additional $2.9B has been allocated for the region, outside of the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) budget.

“In this region alone we have redirected expenditure in the capital programme; outside of the regional budget, we are going to spend $2.9B in this region and these monies will be spent on community infrastructure, markets, agricultural development, schools, health centres, bridges  roads, playgrounds.”

The President also talked up the recent achievements of his government and announced to residents that the cash grants for COVID-19 will commence on Monday in East Berbice- Corentyne. The announcement was met with thunderous applause.

“We know the tremendous difficulty this region went through as a result of the closure of the estates and as well as Rusal. We also know the tremendous difficulty our farmers went through with the addition of VAT on key inputs, electricity and water; what pensioners went through of removal of electricity subsidy and with the application of VAT on water. I am happy to report [that in] just less than four months we were able to restore all those benefits back to as promised in the manifesto. Most importantly, we have been able to return [the] cash grant to the children and as promised in the manifesto and before the end of the five years it will be $50,000 per child. We have been able to restore the $4,000 uniform grant. The $25,000 cash grant for COVID relief voucher for every household will commence on Monday. These are the things the government delivered in less than two months,” he said.