– Minister McCoy urges business community to take advantage

MINISTER of Public Affairs within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, on Monday launched Radio Essequibo, 95.5 FM.

The station, which is now fully operational, offers sponsored local programmes, advertisements, death announcements, and greetings designed for entertainment, educational, religious and developmental purposes.

Minister McCoy said that the launching was testimony to the fact that the PPP/C administration has always been, and continues to be fully committed to ensuring that citizens are able to exercise their constitutional and fundamental human right to freedom of expression.

“Today, we proudly unveil the addition of necessary human capacity to facilitate local broadcast content designed to educate and inform on developments in Guyana’s largest county, Essequibo,” McCoy said.

According to the minister, Essequibians will now be able to contribute to relevant discussions on specific programmes and give views on issues that matter to them the most.

During his address, he mentioned that the radio station will cover 53 kilometres radius and will be a major conduit of information throughout the coast and in the Pomeroon River.

He therefore urged members of the business community to take advantage and to use the station to promote their businesses or local products.

Shedding some light on the work of the Prime Minister’s office, he said within two months of him taking up the ministerial position there was a formal announcement of a total and complete liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, effectively ending decades of commercial monopoly.

He said among the visions of the office is the provision of better access to information in the hinterland. He asserted that “short wave” radios will be provided to households and maintenance training done across the communities. He said independent indigenous content creation for community radio stations through youth and community groups will be facilitated.

Board Chairman of the National Communications Network (NCN) Raymond Cummings, in his remarks, said the launch paves a new opportunity for residents to listen to the news and other events happening in Essequibo in real time. He said that the radio station will provide a platform for those persons who have completed communication studies to practise what was learnt and to expand the broadcasting spectrum in the region.

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva said the launching of “Radio Essequibo” is a historic moment for the region. De Silva said the studio was launched at an opportune time,when communication plays an important role during the pandemic. She therefore assured the minister and the NCN team that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) will make full use of the radio station to inform residents of development works occurring within the region.

Regional Executive Officer (REO) Devanand Ramdatt remarked that as a rural region, it is important for there to be access to quality information. He said too that the launching was historic and that the RDC will fully utilise the facility to better inform residents.

The branch manager will be Mohanlall Suellall and the studio will have two freelance broadcasters, Mayor of Anna Regina Rajendra Prabhulall and Indrawattie Natram.

NCN operates seven other regional radio stations within its national broadcasting network. Radio Essequibo 95.5 frequency was launched in November 2019 and the relay station was commissioned in January, 2020, at Cotton Field in the township of Anna Regina, but it was never operationalised.

Also in attendance at the simple launching ceremony were President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aadil Baskh; Chief Executive Officer of NCN, Michella Abraham-Ali; Deputy Chief Executive officer of NCN, Neaz Subhan; Regional Vice-Chairman Humace Oodit, and Commander of ‘G’ Division, Crystal Robinson.