— Minister Sukhai tells House

DEFENDING her budgetary allocations in the National Assembly on Thursday, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai said that the 2022 budget is centred on further improving the lives of indigenous youths and the economic growth in hinterland communities.

During her contributions to the 2022 budget debate at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the minister said, that this year’s budget is one that will continue to strengthen the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government efforts to build a prosperous nation.
In doing so, Minister Sukhai highlighted that the government will be restarting several projects that were abandoned by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government during their tenure.

“Mr. Speaker another parked project was the Amerindian Land Titling project… Mr. Speaker, not a single land title was approved by the APNU+AFC Government in five years sitting at the helm of the government,” the minister said, adding: “Mr. Speaker it will be the PPP/C Government that will take that parked project and make it into reality and once and for all deal with land matters for the Indigenous people.”

The minister further noted that within one year the PPP/C government has demarcated five Amerindian villages under the Amerindian land titling project (ALT) and the 2022 budget will see more villages being demarcated.

Minister Sukhai, in responding to critic from the opposition, posited that the budget provides a platform and foundation for improvement in all sectors. This, she said will see significant improvement of lives across the country.

“And in improving every sector is ensuring that the Guyanese people can rest assure that their security and livelihoods and lives will be taken care [of] by this government. It is setting the foundation and I want to say to you, the other side, that you better get your act in order to contribute to development and not continue to attempt to destroy this country, it is too beautiful.”

REMEDY ERRORS
Additionally, the minister noted that the 2022 budget will remedy the errors that were made by the previous regime. This, she said, will be done under the Amerindian Development Fund.

“Under the Amerindian Development Fund, we can expect a number of things that will remedy the neglect and remedy the marginalisation and remedy the fact that we are now delivering in a period where in the last five years there was no delivery.”

AGRICULTURE SUPPORT
As it relates to the agriculture sector, Minister Sukhai said that the previous administration did very little to address the issues of farmers and other agriculture stakeholders in the hinterland regions.

“I can assure you in this budget the support from the Ministry of Agriculture will be forth coming, and in fact, in one year of our government, they have been able to provide funding for a number of Amerindian communities throughout the hinterland to strengthen their capacity to cultivate and to grow more food.”

The minister noted that her ministry will also complement the support from the Agriculture Ministry in delivering 71 additional tractor-trailers to several other hinterland communities, especially those in far flung areas.

“The Amerindian Ministry also complimented the support from the Ministry of Agriculture, and we have delivered to Amerindian communities 112 tractors complete with trailers and we are in the process of completing the delivery of the implements to those areas that are logistically difficult to meet in a short period.”

“There is no time in Guyana’s history that the Amerindian people have received such strong support for agriculture,” she added.

ECONOMIC PROJECTS
In addition, Minster Sukhai noted that the Indigenous youths will continue to benefit from the presidential grants to foster economic growth.
“Mr. Speaker, the government continues to provide presidential grants to Amerindian communities, $300 million will be provided this year and additional $25 million will add to looking at an economic and productive project in those communities.”

To complement this, she noted that the Community Service Officers (CSO) programme that was unceremoniously disbanded by the previous government will see monies going back in the hinterland communities.

“We have fulfilled our manifesto promises to them by re-establishing the CSO programme where today this budget is providing one billion and $50 million in the pockets of young people.”

This, she said, will stimulate development in several communities.