HIGHER-paying jobs are one of the central focuses within the government’s blueprint for the next term, as there will be more emphasis on skilled employment, especially in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Technology (IT).
The plan commits to putting more money into the pockets of citizens, and this includes better wages and new opportunities in the public and private sectors, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has outlined.
During a public meeting in Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Thursday last, the Vice President framed the government’s five-year development plan as evidence of the PPP/C’s long-term planning and commitment to transforming communities and lifting the quality of life for all.
In its manifesto, the PPP/C has promised to maintain policies that encourage private investment, job creation, and income generation, and continue to invest heavily in training, so that persons are equipped to take up the good quality jobs being created.
Jobs generate income, reduce poverty, lower crime rates, and foster a sense of purpose and community whilst bridging inequality gaps by providing opportunities to marginalised groups, such as youths, women, and rural communities.
Since assuming office, the PPP/C has created more than 50,000 jobs, and according to Dr. Jagdeo, this momentum will continue.
He said: “We have to create better-paying jobs, higher wages for the public service and those who work in the private sector. And we are going to do that, and we’re going to create jobs that require more skilled people, jobs in information technology, in the use of AI to improve our effectiveness, that is artificial intelligence, in every area we plan, also a digital society, so that your children, when they finish school, they can get jobs in that society, but FinTech will allow us to have easier access to banking.
“So that will happen in the next term. If we get better jobs, we want people to own more things, and that’s why anyone who has not received a house lot as yet will get a house lot. We are going to give people a grant to assist them to build and improve their homes.”
A $100 billion boost to households and building 40,000 new homes are also a part of the plan, and according to the Vice President, they are designed to ease household burdens and expand opportunities nationwide.
“With the increase in public assistance, with the help to the pensioners and to the $200,000 per child, that will amount to nearly $100 billion per year in the pockets of our pensioners, public assistance and the children, $100 billion per year, which is US $500 million,” he explained.
TRANSFORMATION
As he spoke in Diamond Dr. Jagdeo reminded citizens of when he was President and his government developed the first house in the area. Despite still reeling from the economic devastation that the People’s National Congress (PNC) left the nation in, the PPP/C administration breathed “economic life” into the EBD.
“Today, this is a vibrant area powerhouse,” he said.
From 2020-2025, the entire East Bank Corridor has become a construction hub, and as the Vice President pointed out, thousands of jobs have been created as a result.
The Vice President stated that a number of infrastructure projects were planned by the PPP/C some two decades ago, but because of the financial constraints, these plans were not carried out at the time.
However, today, Guyanese have seen several of these projects take manifestation, such as the Heroes Highway and the new high-span Demerara River Bridge.
These projects are changing the life of the country, Dr. Jagdeo affirmed.
He further stated: “We didn’t have a single plan for any of the hospitals that we built, and now 12 of them are also under construction because we put together the plans, we mobilised the funds, we got the contracts going, and this happened.”
In June, the new Diamond Regional Hospital was commissioned by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and is designed to meet international standards and outfitted with 24-hour emergency and laboratory services.
The new hospital will see residents being able to access world-class health care with specialised services in internal medicine and surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiology, mental health and psychology.
Featuring its own oxygen plant, water-filtration system, advanced diagnostics technology, 75 beds, three operating theatres and several intensive care units, the new hospital meets Chinese, British and American standards.
The facility also has wireless connectivity and advanced electronic systems, which align with the government’s vision to embrace a digital health care system.