–Prime Minister Phillips says, hands over $5M cheque to St. Ignatius

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Tuesday, handed over a cheque valuing $5 million on behalf of the government to the St Ignatius Village for the construction of a benab.
The Prime Minister made the presentation to the Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) village after delivering the opening remarks at its Heritage Day celebrations.

Prime Minister Phillips was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Mignon Bowen-Phillips and the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai.
During his speech at the St Ignatius Community Centre Ground, he highlighted the government’s unwavering commitment to the advancement of Amerindian rights and development.

“You have a government that remains committed to supporting your heritage, you have a government that respects you as our first people, and a government that is committed to your development under the concept of “One Guyana,” bringing development to all your communities here in Region Nine and across Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

He related that as Guyana’s development enters a new and rapidly expanding phase, the government remains committed to including Amerindians in the national development agenda.
“We took an early decision that the revenue from oil will be utilised for the development of all the people of Guyana. It doesn’t matter whether you live on the coastland or whether you live in the hinterland, development must come to you and your community,” the Prime Minister said.

He alluded to development in the area of information and communication technology development (ICT), noting: “We are addressing the whole issue of ICT connectivity because it is our plan, our desire, to have every village, every community connected so that you can do business, you can communicate, you can benefit from the GOAL scholarships and programmes you want to benefit from, via the internet.”

The Prime Minister told residents that among the many initiatives being rolled out for their benefit is the land titling programme and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.
He also noted that efforts to bridge the digital and energy divides are ongoing, adding that hinterland education, health, and infrastructure are being re-positioned to help eliminate inequalities and ensure Amerindians continued development. (DPI)