–with planned enhancement of village library

IN responding to immediate needs of the youth in Buxton and Friendship on the East Coast of Demerara, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has committed to ensuring that the village’s library is retrofitted to offer the best services.

During a recent Cabinet outreach to the community on Monday, residents voiced their concerns over the dilapidated building that currently houses the facility, which is an extension of the National Library.
“Do something for that library so that the children in this area, the Buxton/Friendship northern section and vigilance can access the facilities of the library,” one of the residents said.

A community stakeholder said that the building has the capacity to be rehabilitated into a modern facility to offer an extensive array of services not only to the children in the community, but also the adults.
“It can be modernised into an IT hub; you can pay someone let the person run a little photocopy shop, let the children get to do their assignments and so on. And that will serve mainly the residents of this community and the school children,” one resident said.

She added: “There is the nursery school, the primary school and the secondary school all on the northern side of this community. It will be an asset if something can be done for it.”
Meanwhile in responding to the concerns raised by residents, Prime Minister Phillips said there will be further consultations with the relevant subject ministers to determine how soon rehabilitation works can commence on the building.

“Minister Nigel Dharamlall will have a look at that building and we will determine how best we could move in renovations…we will have a look at that building and have it refurbished quickly and have it back to you,” the Prime Minister said.

The ministerial outreach, led by the Prime Minister also included 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; Water and Housing Minister, Collin Croal and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy.

Residents were able to raise additional concerns about health, business development, tourism opportunities, infrastructural development, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), local governance, legal issues, sports, and education.