WITH 97 per cent of construction works completed, members of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Secretariat will soon be able to occupy a brand- new building at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Georgetown.

This is according to Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai who, in a recent exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said the final touches are being added to the building which is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2023.

“The NTC building is 97 per cent and we expect it to be completed before the end of the first quarter of this year.”

In 2022, the government had allocated some $100 million in the National Budget to relocate the secretariat from its Hadfield and Cross Streets, Georgetown location.

According to Minister Sukhai, the contractor was provided with 12 months to complete the project which began in March 2022.

In a previous interview with this publication, Sukhai noted that Guyana is the only country with a government that supports and promotes a full month of activities that seek to celebrate and recognise the contribution of Indigenous tradition, knowledge and culture.

“Our government is the only government so far in the international community that is setting the pace and being the front runner in terms of addressing and including the Indigenous population in the mainstream of national life and national activities.”

She also explained that while the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs is the oversight institution for Indigenous Peoples, it is the elected leaders of the NTC that oversees the administrative functions of the Indigenous communities under the country’s laws.

“The NTC should feel very proud that our government has stepped up to ensure that as a council of leaders, as respected leaders, they should also have their own quarters,” Minster Sukhai said, adding: “The legitimately elected leaders for Amerindians, they have administrative functions under the law and also other functions under the law that they need to perform.”

And the provision of this secretariat is a key part of the government’s support. The government’s role, she said is to provide the prerequisites that will ensure the full functioning of the council.

“… we need to ensure that they are provided with the level of accommodation or office space or secretariat and with the level of resources to compliment the village councils in ensuring that Amerindians are set at a level where they can rightfully say they are indeed included and have access in an equitable way like every other ethnic group,” she added.

At the opening ceremony of Heritage Month celebrations, last year, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali had vowed to work with young Indigenous Peoples to ensure that they are a part of the new phase of development in the country in fields such as health workers, nurses, doctors, engineers and heavy equipment operators.