By Bebi Ossman

RESIDENTS of Gangaram Village in East Canje, Berbice, are set to experience significant improvements in their quality of life as enhanced water connections are scheduled to be implemented in the community, President Irfaan Ali announced on Saturday during a meeting with residents.

This initiative aims to provide households with more reliable, better quality and more consistent access to clean water, addressing a longstanding need in the area.
Further, in another boost to the region, President Ali relayed that farmers in New Forest, East Canje, Berbice, will receive critical support through a government-led land-clearing initiative. This effort is designed to help farmers expand their cultivation areas and increase agricultural productivity. Farmers are expected to benefit from five acres each of land clearing as, according to the President, a machine will be allocated to the area.

“What we decided to do is that we will deploy a machine to these farmers not only to do the drainage but to help every farmer clear at least five acres of land to go into production,” President Ali said. This project will commence within three weeks.

Speaking at a community meeting in Rose Hall, Canje, on Saturday, President Ali spoke of a new, modern Guyana taking shape—particularly in Region Six. He emphasised that in every community across the country, the PPP/C government can point to concrete initiatives aimed at transforming local areas, creating jobs, and unlocking new opportunities for citizens.
Turning to specific villages in East Canje, Berbice, the Head of State said that he is aware of the water challenges in Gangaram. However, to address this, he said that next week, a project will be started to connect the treated water from Canefield to Gangaram, costing around $120 million.

According to President Ali, two days ago he gave a directive to the Ministry of Agriculture to utilise 50,000 acres of land to develop a hydrophonic system in Region Six.
He said, “And we are going to work on enabling 500 families to have access to that land to produce right here in your community.”

Additionally, he said that the government is working on initiatives to support aquaculture. “I have asked the Ministry of Agriculture to do a pilot study to see whether the fish cage can work here.”

He added, “So, we are going to have the Ministry of Agriculture examine the possibilities for these areas and once you are interested and the possibles are there, we are going to work with you and create more opportunities with the fish cages, so we can bring more income into the community.”

According to Ali, with over 80 fisherfolk in the area, “we are now going to work with you to develop in the first instance 100 acres of swamp land for you to be part of the swamp-shrimp project.”
The Head of State pledged that the capital and machinery will be allocated. “These are tens of millions of dollars in investment that we are going to make.”
Turing to streetlights, he said a national programme is being launched with streetlights being placed “on every single pole on every single street on every single highway.”
Noting that there is a delay in shipping, President Ali said there are some 7,000 lights on the ground to commence the project and hundreds are yet to be procured to carry the project to completion.

Region Six will also benefit from cameras to have enhanced security. Meanwhile, the President also urged young people to take an active role in the region’s development. He encouraged those with at least three CXC subjects to enrol in the government’s nursing programme, highlighting that participants will receive stipends during their training and a guaranteed monthly income of $170,000 upon employment.

“Make use of these opportunities, these are the opportunities around the world people are dying for.”
During a series of community outreaches in Region Six on Saturday, President Ali reaffirmed his government’s clear and focused vision for the future of Guyana. He assured residents that Berbice and the wider Region Six are integral to the country’s development plans.

“We have a very clear vision about where Berbice will be, where Region Six will be,” the President said, emphasising the government’s commitment to delivering on its promises. “You can rely on us,” he added, drawing applause from the gathered crowd.