If reelected, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) will ensure that residents of the Barima-Waini region have access to all essential government services.
Speaking at a public meeting in Mabaruma on Tuesday, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali outlined his Administration’s comprehensive plan for the region.
He said that for much too long, residents have had to travel far for basic services such as license renewals and permit applications.
“The future is about you having access to the best possible level of services. No longer must the people of Region One have to go to Georgetown for financial services or GRA services…we are going to invest so that within the next year, every single government service…will be available right here…in Region One for you,” the president committed.
President Ali assured the residents that banks will soon be established in the region to make these services even more accessible.
With the institution of banking services, the president stated that more Region One residents will be able to start businesses and generate additional streams of income for their families.
Apart from a commitment to expand the cultivation of coffee and cocoa, President Ali outlined a comprehensive plan that would transform the region into an agricultural hub.
“The future is about building more opportunities by creating cold storage facilities, by preparing and investing in agroprocessing facilities so that when you have your goods, when you have your produce, we can extend the shelf life,” he noted.
Also on the cards is a massive crab meat processing facility, which will add value to the produce coming out of the region.
The government, President Ali said, has already begun to formalise a market mechanism for all the region’s produce.
“But it’s not only building [these industries]. It’s about ensuring you have the market. It’s ensuring that when the crops are produced, that we will have a buying mechanism,” he explained.
In education, more than 800 residents from Region One are enrolled in the Guyana Online Academy of Learning programmes, while 320 teachers have already received training over the last five years.
Several nursery, primary, and secondary schools are under construction in the region, including the Hosororo and Kwebanna secondary schools.
In terms of enhancing transportation, the government acquired a new Indian Vessel, MV Ma Lisha, to ply the route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.
Added to the perks of receiving carbon credit support, Amerindian villages, like coastland communities, are benefiting from the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant initiative and various medical assistance programmes, such as the spectacles voucher, $10,000 medical examination voucher, among others.
These and many other initiatives are expected to continue once the PPP/C returns to office on September 1, President Ali said.
