– President Ali promises during community outreach

PRESIDENT, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has restated his government’s commitment to ensuring the empowerment of Guyanese in every community across the country.

The President was, on Tuesday, addressing residents of Den Amstel and neighbouring communities in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) during an outreach.

The residents were updated on the government’s agenda which includes plans to improve the infrastructure in Den Amstel.

President Ali, following concerns highlighted by residents, noted that a $10 million contract had been awarded for the rehabilitation of the community ground.

“We’ll be doing back the ground, the pavilion, and put in a basketball court. Some work will be done on the bridge,” President Ali stated.

A basketball court will be constructed along the northern side of the ground and a walk path catering to the elderly.

As it relates to the football facility, the President noted, “I met with the national football team and the federation and I told them that we are going to work with them on a national football tournament before the end of the year.”

He said the facility should be completed soon to facilitate the football training sessions.

Further, after listening to concerns raised by farmers, President Ali noted, “We have some agreements with how we will deal with the sporting facility. We will have agriculture [ministry] come in and have a talk with the farmers because we have to see how we can put all of the lands to production.”

Some of the lands between Blankenburg and Den Amstel have been out of production.

In this regard, President Ali tasked Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, to conduct a meeting with the farmers in the community to address their concerns.

Importantly, he added, “that is what I am asking Minister Mustapha to come in and to see how we can ensure that the lands that are not into production, how we can get them into production, because that is revenue sitting down.”

President Ali said that government will work with the land owners to formulate a mechanism, “through which they [land owners] can go back to the lands or they can rent it, legally, to see how it can go into productivity.”

As it relates to infrastructure, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, stated that some $86 million will be allocated for the construction of concrete roads along the southern section of Den Amstel.

President Ali, as part of his ‘One Guyana’ vision, continues to visit communities across Guyana, meeting with residents and addressing their concerns.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd; Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess; and other senior officials from the Agriculture Ministry and other agencies also accompanied the President. (DPI)