GUYANA is blossoming into one of the most self-sufficient countries as the government’s financial plan continues to pave the way for a series of sustainable developmental projects.

This was robustly asserted by Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha during another community outreach to Region Six on Tuesday, where he engaged residents of Chesney, Belvedere and Williamsburg.
He educated them on the plethora of benefits that exist in the 2024 budget.

“This budget of $1.146 trillion ensures that we move Guyana. Our country today is one of the fastest growing economies. If you look right here in Berbice, hundreds of community roads are being built and why? Because we want to change the infrastructure,” the minister stated.

He further pointed out that other sustainable projects include the construction of state-of-the-art hospitals across the country, the investment in agriculture as it pertains to hydroponics and other aquaculture initiatives, the building of schools and the creation of jobs such as the National Pathway Workers Programme.

The minister asserts that the government’s initiatives, implemented over the course of three years, have had a profound effect on the lives of citizens.
Minister Mustapha recalled the interventions implemented in the budget to uphold this progress.

This, he said, includes the increase of the Because We Care Cash Grant from $40,000 to $45,000, the voucher for spectacles project and testing for cervical cancer and the small business grant among other major initiatives to ease the burden of cost of living on residents.

“From the investments that we are making, we are trying to improve the vulnerable section of the population so as to bring benefits to the citizens. And that has been a hallmark of our government. So, when we have a budget this huge then it means there are benefits for every single Guyanese,” the agriculture minister stressed.

Furthermore, the minister affirmed that despite being an oil producing nation, Guyana’s rapid development is predominantly attributed to its non-oil sectors. Overall, he said that the country’s economy grew by 37 per cent in 2023.
He described this as a monumental achievement while noting that other countries are making Guyana an exemplary state of which they can learn from.

Additionally, during the outreach initiative, residents were provided with a platform to express their concerns to the relevant authorities. The intention behind this was to foster a collective effort in resolving the issues that affect the well-being of the citizens.