– Minister Benn says at Region Five flag-raising ceremony

Story and photographs by Rabindra Rooplall
UNITY in diversity was the message promoted at the 52nd Republic Anniversary Flag-Raising Ceremony held at the Region Five Regional Democratic Council, Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice on Tuesday, where Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, gave the feature address.

“We want to have a situation where we can respect each other more and where we can love each other more. We have gone to the same schools, we look after each other’s children, we come from the same communities and in spite of the quarrels now and again we know that we are better together as Guyanese people and that is what we want for the development of our country,” he told the gathering.

Within this century, he said a new vision of being Guyanese should evolve and this should be handed over to the children and the next generation who should all benefit from a better life.

“We have been given a better life than our parents I believe and we want to assure that we can give our children and the next generation of Guyanese a better life and we can only do this if we accept diversity in our institutions, if we accept and understand and interpret our lives and the way we live together as being of benefit for all of us and for the future and learn to love each other and [be] more empathetic in our relations amongst each other,” Minister Benn emphasised.

Turning his attention to the development of communities in Region Five, Minister Benn commended the regional officials for the roll out of tender for capital infrastructure projects for the region while noting that the region has received a 13 per cent increase in monies for developmental projects.

Benn said government is interested in all projects, including those rolled over, being completed this year. Some 23 projects are currently advertised in the newspapers for regional development.

EXCITING TIMES
“We are at extremely exciting times in Guyana in terms of its development, we have had an international oil and gas conference that was successfully held. You will note that we have had people from all over the world come to Guyana in respect of the great discoveries in the natural resource development,” he told the Region Five gathering.

The minister also stressed that government wants everyone to expose themselves to training and all opportunities available in Guyana since the administration’s Local Content Policy sets the benchmark for the participation of Guyanese human resource and businesses in the oil and gas sector.

Meanwhile, another Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel has entered Guyana’s waters while CGX has made another oil discovery which speaks to the opportunities that will be available for the development and training of youths to take on the jobs that will boom with the oil and gas industry.

“We have to encourage our artisans, our workers, our young people, our people coming out of high schools to take cognisance of the opportunities for technical development, for professional development related to the oil and gas sector, particularly in Berbice,” he posited.

He noted that CGX has commenced building a new port in the Berbice River but government plans to invest heavily in agriculture and the services industry to ensure rapid transformation.

GET INVOLVED
“Even if you do not work in the oil and gas sector particularly, they require services, they require things to eat, they require things to do, they require welders with high skills, so we want you to encourage the young people to get involved in technical education and professional education in this very exciting time in our history,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

Additionally, he explained that persons are arriving into Guyana from all over the world to do works in which Guyanese are capable of performing.

“Skilled workers, skilled divers, skilled craftsmen, persons who could do drilling, persons who can operate vessels in a safe practicable way, we need those people to take up these jobs and we do not have to wait for people from other places to take it, or to come to Guyana and do these jobs,” he emphasised.

He added that the Local Content Policies are crafted to provide the spaces for Guyanese businesses and all young people to participate fully in the oil and gas development.

Also in attendance at the event were Regional Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal; Regional Executive Officer, Genevieve Blackman, councillors and other officials of the region.