-President Ali announces

WITH an arrangement made by the Office of the President through the Finance Ministry and the local banking sector, every rank in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who owns a house lot and needs a loan can now access one.

This was announced on Friday by President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr Irfaan Ali at the annual soldiers’ day celebrations at Base Camp Kanuku, Lethem.

Ranks welcomed the President and his team which included Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, to the border town, during which they were treated to a cultural programme of skits, poetry and dance that also saw participation from children in the community. They then served lunch to the soldiers and their guests.

According to the GDF, the announcement by the President was greeted by loud cheers from the soldiers who will be able to access as much as $6M (low-income) or $8M (low, middle income) with payback interest rates of between four and 4.5 per cent, respectively.

The President said the special programme will be held across the different bases before the end of the year, allowing soldiers to move from land ownership to home ownership by early next year.
President Ali, during his address, also noted his government’s intention to continue to invest heavily in ranks’ professional and educational development, insisting that there are better days ahead for men and women in uniform.

“For me, the most important thing about you young people is not only the service you give today, but you must be in a position in life to continue to give service, and so, investment in your education is the most critical thing for us,” the President told ranks.
He also urged them to take full advantage of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.
President Ali said his intention is for soldiers registered in the programme to become community tutors. He also indicated his intention to have ranks more involved in the Men on Mission initiative.

In underscoring the importance of a modern military, President Ali also revealed his intention to further widen the military’s role in the overall development of Guyana.

“This is why we are paying particular attention to the wider role of the military in the overall development in our country…We want to expand this, our Medical Corps must have a way in which they integrate their work with the rest of the community, looking at social issues, building cohesiveness, removing social ills from our society,” he said.

In this regard, he commended the Engineers Battalion for its work in over a dozen community development projects in the last two years.
President Ali told the soldiers that they will be rewarded for their sacrifices.

“Many of you spend Christmas with your military family, away from your homes. This is no easy sacrifice. This is a different level of commitment and love for country. I assure you that your country values you tremendously for your work and will reward you justly.”

Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess also thanked the soldiers for their service and encouraged them to continue to give excellent service to their country.