LAST week, President Irfaan Ali signed into law the long-awaited Natural Resource Fund (Amendments) Bill 2021 and the historic Local Content Bill 2021, solidifying the final step in the legislative process of incorporating the legislation into the country’s legal architecture.

It also paves the way for the government to begin accessing the monies currently being held in the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), which now stands at some US$534 million.
In his New Year’s Day message, President Dr Irfaan Ali pledged that some of the money from the NRF will be spent on improving the welfare and well-being of citizens.

Ever since oil was discovered in Guyana in 2015 and the country began receiving its first lift of oil in January 2020, citizens have been eagerly waiting to see how expenditure from Guyana’s oil and gas sector will benefit them individually, as well as the country as a whole.

With Guyana still very much a developing country battling with a number of socioeconomic issues, there has been no short supply of suggestions, recommendations and opinions from the common man, politicians, business persons and activists on how the money could be spent.

This week the Guyana Chronicle took to the streets of Georgetown to solicit the views of citizens on some of the areas in which they would like to see a portion of the oil funds invested.
Below is what they had to say.

Dexter Simpson, 42, Environmental Officer 
There’s a lot of areas, especially the local government organs like the Mayor and City Council (MCC) which are stifling where resources are concerned. The local government organs, the NDCs, and the RDCs are where these monies should be put, mostly so that resources could be meted out to the masses of the people. The government is also still borrowing money from international agencies, so with this money more money should be channelled in directions so we don’t borrow as much. Some money should go to a strong welfare initiative programme, because if you look at the cost of living, it has increased. They could also build on projects such as the one that relates to building core homes and giving out materials, because with that programme there are current challenges where it is only available to persons who earn less than $70,000.

Anthony Gouveia, 59, Executive Chef 
I hope they spend some of it to help with the COVID-19 situation, and I also want to see money going to the farmers, the fishermen, and infrastructural projects such as the [Demerara Harbour] Bridge that they want to build. I am also looking forward to seeing the people of Guyana improve in education, jobs and salaries. The nurses and police salaries should also improve. I believe that things are going to pick up because there are a lot of contracts that the government is putting out, but we can’t jump into everything one time.

Naudya Class, 36, business owner  
They should further develop the health care sections, particularly the health centres in the different areas and properly equip them. I must say I believe we are doing well in the education sector, so that’s good. But I also think they should do something about the vagrants, and not have them to be around the place, scaring people and running people. Then there are the roads. That’s about it for me.

Chris Khan, 49, gold miner
Right now in my community in Kuru Kuru in Soesdyke, we need a lot of help there, due to a lot of flooding. Officials need to go in and check the area. We need roads there as well and there [are] a lot of things that need to be done there, but we need more officials there and look at it.

Esther Sital, 41, market vendor 
We have a road in South, Kaikan Street, where year after year it is the same way. Soon as rain fall it is flooding, and rain doesn’t have to fall hard for it to get a flood, and I am talking real, real flood. So I would really like if they could do something to fix that road. For me personally, I also believe police, nurses and teachers should get more money. Government workers need to get a better salary so that they don’t have a hard time, the market would flow better and everything would be ok. For me that’s the three main jobs. I have also heard about loans, I don’t know what is the procedure, but I would be glad if I could get a business loan.