WORK on a number of streets in Victoria Village on the East coast Demerara, are expected to start this week, while a $6 million tractor and trailer has been given to the community and a new excavator is being procured to conduct works on the drainage systems.

These developments will add to the over $60 million spent on infrastructural works that have already been done in the community.

Over 200 persons from the community have also benefitted from the government’s part-time work programme, while several residents from Victoria are expected to receive house lot allocations when the Ministry of Housing and Water distributes some 2,000 allocations on the East Coast Demerara in the first Dream Realised housing drive for the year.

Those and more announcements were shared with residents of the village on Saturday, during a government outreach led by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips at the Victoria Community Centre Ground.

A number of ministers were part of a contingent that went on the ground to speak with the residents, listen to their various concerns and offer solutions to existing issues.

As with many communities, issues with the roadways, works needed on the drainage and employment opportunity and business support were some of the primary concerns raised by the residents during the packed interactive session.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, shared that the tender is out for an all-weather road to the farmlands in the community, while to date a number of major canals in the community have been desilted

With the current focus on food security in the Caribbean region, Minister Mustapha reminded the residents that the farmers from the community have an important role to play in contributing to the initiative while capitalising on opportunities to grow their business.

“Agriculture is one of the most important sectors, without agriculture we can’t be food secure. If you produce more, Guyana will produce more and we will be able to make CARICOM food secure. So, we will listen and we will work with you to ensure that we help in this process. We are coming here to continue the development. This community has never been neglected,” Minister Mustapha related.

He said, however, that an area of continued concern remains cases of conflict over ownership of some lands, and he called on the farmers to ensure they are regularised and receive titles for their properties.

During his remarks, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, said that his ministry will be working with the community to bring vocational training programmes to the community’s two training centres.

Hamilton said that the ministry will be placing special focus on flexible courses that could accommodate working persons.

Also present, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, pledged his ministry’s commitment to working with the community to develop the community’s youth and sporting facilities.

“We are committed to seeing the transformation happen across the country and Victoria is one of these places. We want to see everyone prosper under the services that we deliver. I am very happy to be part of what this process is about. I’ve seen how these sessions have translated into the development for communities and for individuals,” Ramson said.