PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, over the past weekend, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the equal distribution of resources and equal treatment of all Guyanese, while making remarks in St Ignatius when he visited the community during a three-day visit to Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

The President was at the time speaking about the many social safety nets that his government has put in place over the last two years to ease the burden of adverse economic conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

“In every single society, the most basic understanding of developmental studies will tell you that you must be able to have social safety nets that address the vulnerability of communities and address the vulnerability of different people.

“Otherwise, you will have a country in which development and growth brings with it a great disparity and inequality, and we cannot allow our country to suffer from inequality and disparity,” the President said.

“I am not willing to lead a government that will see this happen. That is why we would invest heavily in transforming your future, ensuring we build the conditions, ensuring we build the facilities that will give you an equal shot of life because you are no different from any other Guyanese whether you are from Region Nine or Region Four,” Dr Ali continued.

The President underscored that unity and equitable treatment are at the heart of the government’s “One Guyana” platform that champions inclusivity and fairness.

“We are building ‘One Guyana’ that must bring social prosperity, economic prosperity, food security, energy security to every single one, to every single environment,” His Excellency noted.

The President made the remarks to address rhetoric being peddled by the main opposition party about unfounded accusations of discrimination.

“I am not here to evaluate what the opposition says about the government. I am not here to respond to the nonsense that you hear them say every day.

“I am here to define a pathway to which we are working positively to make your life better, to work with you to give you the best… work with you to enhance your communities, work with you to build sustainability. This is the path that I want all of us to embrace each other with,” the President said.

Dr Ali highlighted that all persons are equal in the human race. He called on all Guyanese to see each other as one.

“We are all creation of God but when God said he made us to his own image and likeness… there is no difference in colour.

“There is no difference in ethnicity. There is no difference in communities. There is no difference between rich or poor. The difference comes when you do things that…destroys peace,” the President said.

“We are all part of a bigger family, even bigger than the Guyanese family. We are part of the family of humanity.

“And when we start understanding that we are all part of a singular family, then we all know that life must be enjoyed by all of us equally as far as possible,” Dr Ali further noted.

Hinterland communities like those in Region Nine have benefitted from a $25,000 per household cash grant that was implemented to help those residents deal with the rising cost of living, given the economic disadvantage faced by this section of the population.

“Those are grants that are responsive to your vulnerability. Those are not handouts,” the President commented.

In addition to the cash grant for hinterland and riverine communities, the government has also implemented across the board benefits such as the “Because We Care” education cash grant and uniform voucher which saw parents receiving $30,000 for each child in the school system.

The government has also increased the old age pension to $28,000 and the public assistance to $14,000. The government has also removed the Valued Added Taxes (VAT) on water, and reduced or removed taxes on a number of items.

Guyanese are also benefitting from a robust housing programme being implemented by the government, whereby Guyanese of all races are benefitting from accelerated house lot allocation, and resource assistance.

These support programmes include initiatives of the government where land owners will receive support with steel and cement for the foundation phase of their housing construction.

Some 600 land owners in Region Nine will also benefit from grants towards the construction of their homes. The government has also negotiated with two lending agencies to finance the remainder of the low cost mortgages.