Minister Singh emphasises equality, economic growth for Essequibo
SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President, with Responsibilities for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, told Essequibians that educational opportunities will be available to them, irrespective of geographic locations.
He was speaking to a mammoth audience, on Wednesday, at the Anna Regina Secondary School auditorium, during a day-long outreach.
At the outreach, several training opportunities were available through the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labour, and the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
Present at the outreach were Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, and Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj.
The outreach was a follow-up to Vice President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo’s visit, where many young people expressed interest in tourism training and the GOAL scholarship.
This event also provided opportunities for tourism training and business support through the Small Business Bureau.
Dr. Singh said that the current government is committed to ensuring that economic, job, and entrepreneurial opportunities are available in abundance, irrespective of where people live.
He said that President Dr. Irfaan Ali was promoting a ‘One Guyana’ that offers prosperity and upliftment, and that prosperity is not confined to any region but rather dispersed to all administrative regions.
He added that the government was aiming to improve the lives of all Guyanese. Dr. Singh said that he was impressed with the gathering, which was a testament to the fact that people were eager for training and capacity-building opportunities.
“Today’s engagement is a direct follow-up to a recent visit led by Vice President Bharat Jagdeo to this region three weeks ago. One of the key messages that VP Jagdeo brought is that there is an appetite for training in the region,” Dr. Singh said.
He noted that there were a number of messages from the current government led by President Ali. One of those messages was for a ‘One Guyana’.
He said that ‘One Guyana’ refers to the oneness of the country. “When we speak of oneness, there is also a geographic dimension, that is to say, no matter where you live, you are part of this ‘One Guyana’, and this People’s Progressive Party led by President Ali would like you to contribute fully towards the same,” Dr. Singh said.
Dr. Singh encouraged continuous learning and emphasised the GOAL programme’s unique opportunity to pursue higher education from home while maintaining employment and regional ties.
He underscored the government’s commitment to promoting education and skills upgrading as essential for Guyana’s economic transformation.
Meanwhile, hundreds of residents in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region eagerly applied for the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships during an outreach event at the Anna Regina Secondary School auditorium.
Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Madanlall Ramraj, said that the current government has a place for everyone and there were many opportunities available through the Guyana School of Agriculture.
He mentioned that many youths were being trained in the agricultural field. He also said that youths play an integral role in society and the government was providing free scholarships for youths to study right at their homes.
Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, said that many opportunities were available to young people in the region.
She highlighted that there was a robust government effort rolling out several ICT programmes. She noted that many indigenous persons were being trained across the country and that the current government has a vision to empower young people.
She emphasised that tourism was a priority sector for the government, which was focused on investing in training for the people.
Cassandea Singh, a participant, shared her appreciation: “I am very happy for this opportunity. I wanted to apply a long time ago but did not know how to do it. I am happy that I completed the process and anticipate that email.” Another applicant said she was having a difficult time applying for the small business grant and was afforded the opportunity to do so during the outreach.
