RESIDENTS of Buxton and neighbouring villages will have the opportunity to meet with several government ministers on Monday, July 4, to discuss developmental issues and other concerns, when government takes a major outreach to the East Coast Demerara (ECD) community.

The exercise, led by Prime Minister Mark Phillips (now performing the duties of President while President, Dr Irfaan Ali is in Suriname), fulfils a commitment made by President Ali when he visited the village last Tuesday.

The meeting will be held at the Buxton Community Centre Ground from 10:00hrs.

The ministerial team includes Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C; Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill; Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony; Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Charles Ramson Jnr; Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond; Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy.

Residents will be able to speak directly to the ministers in relation to health; business development; tourism opportunities; infrastructural development; Information and Communications Technology (ICT); local governance; legal issues and opportunities for young people in the areas of culture, youth and sport.

Under the ‘One Guyana’ umbrella, President Ali visited the community on several occasions as government ensures that all Guyanese benefit from government services.
The community is sustained mainly by farming. Government, since assuming office, has invested heavily in agriculture through its budgetary allocations.

Additionally, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha visited the community on numerous occasions to address issues such as drainage and irrigation, which normally pose a problem to farming.

Last year, Minister Ramson committed $10 million to develop the Buxton community ground where the meeting will be held.

In addition, Prime Minister Phillips also visited the community some time ago when he donated lights to allow sporting activities to be held at nights.

Upon taking office, President Ali made it clear that government will be meeting and consulting with Guyanese countrywide on developmental issues.

President Ali, in his inaugural address to the 12th Parliament, had announced the establishment of a “One Guyana Commission” which will be spearheaded by Prime Minister Phillips.

“An essential part of my government is inclusion. Stop being defined by race; stop being defined by politics.

“Start being defined by our one nationality and by our common love for our one country. Let us lift it up together and, by doing so, let us lift each other and ourselves; One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” the President charged.

“We must move our nation-building from abstraction to action and lose not one more moment in doing it. Let us stand up for our one nation, our One Guyana. Let us stand up for what we know in our hearts and in our minds to be right. Let us stand up for one identity, the Guyanese identity,” President Ali stated. (Extracted from the DPI with modification)