“WE are not a government that is distant from the people,” President Dr. Irfaan Ali declared on Thursday, as he opened day one of a two-day government outreach in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) at State House, New Amsterdam.

The outreach, which is the first of a countrywide tour that will be going to every region across the country, is geared towards taking the services of the Office of the President, and other government ministries and agencies directly to the people in their respective administrative regions.

“We are not a government that operates in a vacuum or a locked compartment, we operate with you. We take your concerns and realities into consideration,” the Head of State said.

Agencies attending the outreach included the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MoHSSS), Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), as well as the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and other regional departments.

“This is the level of seriousness which we are taking in dealing with your issues. Its not about passing the buck, but bringing the agency heads here so they can work with you.

“When you have various initiatives, sometimes you have teething problems at the local level and regional level as relates to these services. So, we are going to be taking your concerns and issues, and putting you onto the various agencies to have those concerns and issues sorted out,” Dr Ali related.