–Dr Jagdeo urges residents to capitalise on skills training programmes

WITH Guyana’s development “boom” continuing to reach every community, more infrastructural enhancements are in store for Sophia, as the government has awarded $1.069 billion in 85 contracts for crucial projects in the community.

This initiative is a continued fulfilment of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s promise of building out Guyana’s infrastructure, so it could be modernised and become more efficient to support a flourishing economy.

Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, during his remarks at a community outreach and simple ceremony at the Sophia Primary School, said the PPP/C does not only visit and make promises during the elections period, but instead always listens and delivers.
The Guyana Chronicle spoke with several contractors who gave their view on the country’s unprecedented developmental growth and what the road projects in Sophia mean for the community.

Alliea Webb, the project manager of KHE engineering, lauded this initiative and commended the government for remaining consistent with the delivery of its manifesto promises.

She said: “On behalf of KHE engineering, I’d like to thank the government for keeping their promises of giving the citizens of Sophia better roadways after long years of bad roads and people complaining.”

Tariq Duncan of Tariq Duncan General Construction, who is also a resident of Sophia, highlighted his reasons for being excited about this and other initiatives. This includes the government placing focus on letting the residents be a part of their community’s transformation and taking Sophia off the backburners of development.

“This initiative is good because I see they reached out to the local residents to give them contracts,” he said.
Additionally, Delroy Williams of Aki’s General Construction gave this publication an insight into how his community has been transformed under the current government.

“This is a good thing for the people of Sophia,” he said, while pointing out that the contracts are being awarded to residents of the community, since they would know their needs more than anyone else.
The Sophia resident went on to say: “We see a lot of development; we see most of the community centre grounds and playfields [being] developed…. We continue to see a lot of development, drainage and everything being cleaned as well.”

IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS
Although the awarding of contracts was the main focus of the engagement, Dr Jagdeo allowed residents to take the floor and voice their concerns.

With one fisherman telling him about the hardships that ordinary individuals like him are facing, the Vice-President responded by saying that residents should participate in the skills training programmes to enhance their abilities and access other opportunities.
“I’ve said to the fisherman that outside of the scholarships we’ve had here, we are training about maybe another 15,000 people in skill training. So this is under Minister Hamilton and also Vindhya through the WIIN programme and some other programmes, [are training women]…

“So we need like heavy-duty equipment operators, we need truck drivers, we need carpenters, we need [them] in large quantities now, we need plumbers, we need electricians. If people find those individuals who are prepared to go in for their training, I can get Joe Hamilton to come here and arrange the training,” Dr Jagdeo said.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, said that because of a previous visit to the community where he participated in a clean-up campaign, he along with several other ministers listened to the residents and what they had to say.