UNDER the theme, “Improving lives today, building prosperity for tomorrow”, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, on Monday, announced that more than $4.7 billion will be injected into the development of Amerindian and hinterland communities across the country.
The minister, during the presentation of the 2023 National Budget at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), said the government remains committed to prioritising the livelihoods of Guyana’s Indigenous people.
Dr. Singh further explained that this year’s budget will emphasise the advancement of education, health, housing, infrastructure, and social well-being.
In this regard, $500 million has been budgeted to advance Amerindian land titling activities. Further, a sum of $69.7 million has been allocated to complete and furnish the building of the National Toshaos’ Council Secretariat. An additional $93.3 million has been budgeted to support 804 students through the Hinterland Scholarships Programme.
“When we returned to office, we were greeted with an array of issues facing our Amerindian brothers and sisters. Our government’s commitment, following our manifesto promises, resulted in the prioritisation of our first people’s education, health, housing, infrastructure, social well-being, employment, youth development, and development of the village economy,” Dr. Singh said.
Since assuming office in 2020, the government has resuscitated the Community Service Officers (CSO) Programme, improved agricultural support by distributing tractors, boats, engines, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs); reinvigorated the Amerindian Land Titling programme; and invested heavily in hinterland infrastructure, Dr. Singh added.
“To further develop Amerindian communities, we spent $4.9 billion through the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) on presidential grants, the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme, and additional financial support in areas of food security, youth development, tourism, and micro projects,” he said.
This year, a sum of $2.7 billion has been budgeted for the ADF, which includes continued training in tourism and hospitality, business development plans, garment construction, ATV, and small engine repairs, as well as provisions for presidential grants to 233 communities. Furthermore, the sum of $5 billion has been budgeted for hinterland road development.
ICT, IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY
To bridge the digital gap, the government had delivered several VSAT satellite equipment which to date serves over 60,000 residents in 161 hinterland communities.
In addition to these, 93 hinterland communities have benefitted from grants to prepare spaces to establish ICT hubs, with another 107 communities slated to benefit by the third quarter of 2023. The 93 beneficiaries would have also seen the construction and equipping of ICT hubs in their villages, of which 72 are operational with the remainder slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2023.
Further, works have commenced on the expansion of the fibre cable network by 115 km and these are expected to be completed in 2023. A sum of $500 million has been allocated in the 2023 Budget to finance these initiatives.
CULTURE PRESERVATION
Furthermore, in preserving the cultural uniqueness of the Indigenous people, the government has committed $124 million to the celebration of heritage in 2023.
Dr. Singh added that the National Toshaos’ Conference, which is budgeted at $91.8 million, will continue to add meaningful transformational engagements.
“Our Indigenous people will be at the forefront to directly benefit from this government’s efforts on climate finance, with 15 per cent of revenue received from the sale of our carbon credits going toward investment in village sustainability plans produced by villages and communities,” he said.
