—Residents seek solutions as ministers, government agencies take services directly to the people

THOUSANDS of residents from across Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Friday flocked the University of Guyana’s Berbice Campus at Tain, where Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo led the third edition of the government’s Public Day outreach initiative.

The outreach, which brought together Cabinet ministers, heads of government agencies and technical officers, provided residents with direct access to decision-makers to raise concerns, seek assistance and have issues resolved.

Throughout the day, residents queued at designated booths staffed by ministries and agencies, while the Vice-President personally met with hundreds of citizens, both individually and in groups, to hear their concerns and facilitate solutions.

Jagdeo was frequently seen directing residents to the relevant agencies and ministries, ensuring matters were addressed promptly, and that follow-up action was taken where necessary.

Before the start of the outreach, the Vice- President reminded ministers and agency officials that the initiative is designed to proactively identify and resolve issues affecting citizens before they escalate.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand described the exercise as a clear demonstration of active citizenship and responsive governance.

“You have the Vice-President of our country leading a team of ministers and agency heads listening to people, hearing both concerns as well as praise because people have come to tell us what we’re doing right and resolving issues where those can be resolved on the spot or committing to follow up,” she said.

According to Manickchand, the large turnout reflected the confidence residents have in the government, and its willingness to act on their concerns.

She noted that many persons left their homes and workplaces to attend, because they believed their issues would receive attention.

“What you saw here was active governance, government coming to people and people being responsible in being citizens who are actively participating in citizenship,” she said.

The minister further observed that many of the residents she interacted with were not seeking personal benefits, but were advocating for improvements within their communities.

Sharing similar sentiments, Minister of Public Works and Aviation Deodat Indar said the turnout underscored public confidence in the government’s ability to deliver results.

“If you look around this university campus here in Tain, Port Mourant, you will… people with all kinds of issues that they believe that they can come to the government so government can act. The reason why people show up here is because they know that this government, the PPP/C Irfaan Ali-led government acts,” Indar said.

He described the outreach as an important initiative that reflects the government’s commitment to serving citizens wherever they are.

The Public Day outreach initiative forms part of the government’s ongoing effort to strengthen engagement with citizens, improve service delivery, and ensure that concerns are addressed efficiently and directly.