A HIGH-LEVEL outreach led by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, has placed a strong spotlight on development in the Friendship backlands, Pomeroon River.

During a visit on Wednesday, PM Phillips said the Pomeroon River is as important as any other community in the country, and he gave a commitment to represent the interests of the people.

The engagement focused on advancing critical infrastructure, expanding access to quality healthcare, and improving education across the region—key pillars of the current Government’s national development strategy.

Prime Minister Phillips emphasised that the government remains committed to inclusive, community-driven development and continues to engage directly with residents to assess needs and deliver targeted solutions. He reiterated that public consultations are a vital part of ensuring no community is left behind as Guyana moves forward.

A major development issue raised by residents was the challenge of marketing agricultural produce, particularly coconuts.

In response, the Prime Minister and Minister Indar immediately pledged to work with the Ministry of Agriculture to create sustainable market linkages for local farmers—an initiative expected to improve livelihoods and reduce post-harvest losses.

During the outreach, Minister Indar said that the PPP/C Government will be embarking on several projects in the Pomeroon River which are geared towards improving the livelihood of farmers. He said that currently 50 additional revetment projects will be done to mitigate flooding. Minister Indar said that there are 30 ongoing revetment projects in the Pomeroon.

Residents acknowledged the government’s ongoing interventions and expressed gratitude for investments that have already improved living standards. The outreach reinforced the administration’s approach of working hand-in-hand with citizens to address pressing developmental needs.

“We are happy for this kind of engagement, and we are seeing the members of the PPP/C reaching out and engaging and this [is what] we want from a government” Rudolph Henry said.

Also in attendance were Member of Parliament Dr. Tandika Smith, Regional Chairperson Vilma DaSilva, and Regional Vice-Chair Humace Oodit, who echoed the importance of sustained development planning to uplift Pomeroon and surrounding communities.

The residents are anticipating massive development and transformation in their communities in the coming weeks.