Dear Editor,
THE penned letter to the Editor of Stabroek News by Mervyn Williams, dated January 17, 2020, is completely distasteful and bears no merit as it relates to the status of Amerindians in Guyana.

The National Toshaos Council (NTC) Executive should have been elected and everyone knows that also everyone is aware of what has caused the delay. Mr. Williams and his cohorts need to immediately desist from playing the blame game. The PPP/C Government is trying its utmost to have the spread of the coronavirus under control.

It is needless for Mr. Williams to allude that the advancement of Amerindians and their development at the national level is on hold because the NTC Executive body is not in effect.

The reality is that the development of the 220 Amerindian villages and communities in Guyana is on an upward spiral since August of 2020 as compared to the turtle pace development the Amerindian villages and communities have experienced from 2015 to 2020 under the Coalition administration.

Some of these developments as of August 2020 are:
1. The CSOs programme has been reintroduced, thus, creating almost 2,000 jobs and training of the youth in areas of critical life skills [and] chartering the way forward for Amerindian youth development
2. Amerindian villages are benefitting from tractors, trailers and implements for agricultural purposes
3. The Amerindian Land Titling Project has commenced and is up and running
4. All Amerindian villages are projected to benefit from the ICT programme
5. Increase in presidential grants and community development plans.
6. And finally, there is a presence of the hard-working Minister of Amerindian Affairs and staff of the ministry in almost all of the villages, unlike knowing when Mr. Williams, the previous white-collar Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, and the Minister within sit in their office.

The NTC Secretariat will be constructed and Mr. Williams should take note. It is pellucid that the PPP/C Government talks the talk and walks the walk and delivers on its promises and commitments.

Finally, this is just the tip of the icing; more developments are projected for the Amerindians and hinterland residents across Guyana under the PPP/C Government — a government that cares about the livelihood and well-being of the Amerindians and hinterland residents.

Yours sincerely,
Hon. Alister Charlie
Member of Parliament