-outlines ambitious 5-year growth plan at Nappi Heritage Day celebrations
-says land titling remains top priority; education, health, agriculture, tourism will get major boost

PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to Amerindian development while honouring their role as Guyana’s First Peoples0 and custodians of the nation’s biodiversity.

Prime Minister Phillips made these remarks while addressing the Heritage Day celebrations in Nappi Village, Region Nine, on Saturday.

The Prime Minister outlined the government’s ambitious five-year development plan for Amerindian communities, announcing the revitalisation and continuation of the Amerindian land titling programme. He stated that this initiative will remain a key focus.

He stated that the government also intends to construct new schools and dormitories to guarantee that every child in the hinterland has access to secondary education. He further mentioned that the telemedicine centres will be equipped to provide modern health services through expanded ICT connectivity.

Additionally, the Prime Minister highlighted the expansion of the Community Service Officers (CSO) programme.

“We made a promise when we went to election that we will focus during the next five years on retraining, upskilling, empowering, and increasing the stipend for CSOs,” he said.

On economic development, Prime Minister Phillips pointed to agriculture, agro-processing, and tourism as growth sectors, noting: “Job creation, especially in agriculture and agro-processing, remains important for us, and we will work with your villages, including Nappi, to develop village-level tourism.”

The Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s wider commitment to developing sustainable village economies, mentioning opportunities in eco-enterprises, cage culture fish farming, solar energy distribution, carbon credit revenues, and community empowerment.

“We decided that 26.5 per cent of the money earned from the carbon credit sale every year will be shared out to all our villages; the whole aim is to help you develop in a democratic manner whatever product or facility you decide,”he said.

Infrastructure development remains central to these plans, according to PM Phillips, noting that the government is targetting the construction of approximately 2,500 kilometres of hinterland roads over the next five years.
He also reminded of the removal of taxes on all-terrain vehicles and outboard engines to support hinterland transportation and business growth.

Turning his attention to digital literacy, he posited that connectivity will also be expanded, with a target to train 7,500 hinterland residents, through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning programme and other scholarships by 2030.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Phillips spoke of the important link between the preservation of Amerindian cultural heritage, national identity, and cohesion under the ‘One Guyana’ vision, noting that the protection of indigenous languages and traditions will advance national unity.

“Once we preserve the languages and the culture of our Amerindian Peoples, that itself will help us to forge ahead in a more cohesive manner, under the banner of One Guyana- as One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”

The Prime Minister took the opportunity to praise Regional Chairman Derek Thomas for his dedicated service to Region Nine, and reiterated the Government’s intention to spend considerable time in hinterland communities over the next five years, and to further its people-centred approach to governance. (OPM)