President Ali announces, says initiative to benefit all citizens

TO guarantee equitable services to citizens across Guyana, the government is preparing to launch a baseline programme that heavily emphasises health, education, infrastructure, water, and Information Technology (IT).

This was announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Wednesday, during the St. Ignatius Heritage celebrations in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Esequibo).

The Head of State, while addressing a gathering of Indigenous people and Toshaos (community leaders) acknowledged that crucial investments will have to be made to ensure that citizens have access to basic services, especially those living in hinterland communities.

“Our collective commitment must be to ensure that every successive generation benefits from a better life, benefits from a more comprehensive pact of development to ensure that their livelihood and their life is easier,” the President said.

The government, he said, has placed much emphasis on the indigenous community, with investments already being made in health, food security, climate, education, and infrastructure.

The creation of jobs and community development plans have been supported by $1.9 billion, which has already fulfilled 99 per cent of the commitment to hinterland communities.

He further explained that the programme will see the government being able to assess the needs of communities to offer better services.

“This baseline will establish the minimum level of service that every single Guyanese in every single village must enjoy, whether you’re in Region One, Nine, Two, Three, or Region Four we are going to establish this baseline that will bring equitable development and every single citizen must enjoy services in accordance with that baseline.”

“We did make commitments, we act on them and we fulfilL them,” President Ali added.

The Head of State announced, earlier this month, that billions of dollars will be allocated to them in the 2024 and 2025 budget cycles.

He made this revelation at the closing of this year’s National Toshaos Conference, where he said that, for the first time, the Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Derrick John, will meet with the Minister of Finance during the budget consultation process.

The conference offers Indigenous leaders the opportunity to meet and interact with the country’s leaders, and make critical decisions regarding their livelihoods and development.

More than 200 Indigenous leaders from across the country attended this year’s conference.

The various community leaders were able to interact with government ministers and other officials.

Some immediate interventions were made, while plans were discussed for long-term interventions to address the priority needs of hinterland communities.

Some of these interventions include the delivery of 30,000 household solar units. This distribution is expected to begin shortly, and will see a government minister being assigned to specific communities to hand over the units, which are part of the first phase.

Meanwhile, during the conference, it was announced that an additional $16 billion will be invested this year to upgrade infrastructure in hinterland communities. Out of that sum, $6 billion will be spent on community roads.

Over the next three years, the government will also make massive investments to improve healthcare in the hinterland regions, building new hospitals and new health centres, and expanding services such as telemedicine.

Investments will also be made in agriculture and tourism. Training in these areas will be done to ensure that Indigenous youths can benefit from the ongoing developments, such as the establishment of several new hotels across the country.