TOSHAOS and village leaders from across Region Ten have been updated on the government’s development agenda as they prepare to participate in the 2026 National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Conference.
Addressing the Regional Toshaos’ Meeting on Friday, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, outlined key infrastructural projects, education initiatives and national programmes benefitting indigenous and riverain communities while responding to concerns raised by the village leaders.
The engagement serves as a precursor to the National Toshaos’ Council Conference, which will be held from Monday, July 20 to Friday, July 24 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
“Toshaos, village leaders and representatives, you are part of a Guyana that all of us should be proud about,” he said.
Pointing to the rehabilitation of the road to Ebini, which he said is opening up economic opportunities in the Berbice River.
“Ebini is coming alive again in such a great way. The road to Ebini is being built all the way up and that is not a footpath, that is a road to move heavy equipment,” he said.
He added that communities such as Ebini and Kimbia, once thriving settlements along the Berbice River, are being revitalised through improved infrastructure.
Minister Edghill also highlighted progress in the education sector, noting that the new secondary school at Waorani is approximately 70 per cent complete.
Beyond infrastructure, the minister noted that key government initiatives were rolled out in hinterland communities just like it did in urban areas.
These include the distribution of the Because We Care cash grants, Presidential Grants, solar photovoltaic systems and black water storage tanks.
He said efforts are also continuing to improve access to potable water through the drilling of wells in hinterland communities.
“What I am saying is that we have not been lazy in bringing development to the Amerindian communities in Region Ten,” Minister Edghill said.
As Toshaos prepare to attend the National Toshaos’ Council Conference on Monday, Minister Edghill encouraged them to recognise the country’s achievements under President Dr Irfaan Ali’s administration.
He said the conference would provide another opportunity for indigenous leaders to engage on national development while advancing discussions on the future of their communities and Guyana’s continued progress.
“The Toshaos when they come together, they see it as a complain forum, we don’t see it like that. We see this as a mechanism and a forum that has afforded you to let your voice be heard on behalf of the people when you visit so that your village will have the kind of representation that it deserves,” he said. [DPI]