As the second annual Rupununi Expo opened in Lethem on Saturday, she said that government would next year examine the potential of the villages in Region Nine and support these under the Hinterland Secure Livelihoods Programme. The two-day Expo was held under the theme ‘Promoting development through conservation and sustainable use of the forests’ and ended last evening. It was held at the Triple R Rupununi Rodeo site.
Addressing participants, farmers, members of the business community and visitors, Sukhai challenged the people of the region to step forward and engage each other in developing the resources of the villages to close the gap between them and the township of Lethem. She said that tourism was a key economic activity and villages could take advantage of activities such as nature tourism, adventure tourism, bird-watching, butterfly farms, among others. The Minister noted that the hospitality industry was emerging in the region and called on the villages to take advantage of the opportunities that were before them.
She disclosed that her ministry in conjunction with government would next year examine the potential of the region’s villages and support these initiatives under the Hinterland Secure Livelihoods Programme. The programme, she noted, embraced not only agriculture but also tourism and enterprise development and it had already begun in Region One.
And referring to road development, Sukhai told the gathering that hinterland roads would soon be improved since government had recently approved over a billion dollars for the construction of roads in the interior. In the Rupununi, roads in the South Pakaraimas from Karasabai to Kopinang would be done and the road from Lethem to Aishalton would be improved to facilitate easier access to Amerindian communities, she said.
The Expo was held at a time when producers are experiencing great difficulties in the agriculture sector due to a prolonged dry season and there was not much produce like peanuts, the main commercial crop of the Rupununi, Vice-President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Alfred Ramsaran said. There were, however, fish and ground provisions, fruits, farine and some cassava bread which were brought mainly from villages in the Deep South savannahs such as Parabara, Maruraunau, Awarenauwau and villages in the Central and South Central and North Savannahs, he stated.
Meantime, in speaking about the commercial zone at Lethem, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Manniram Prashad exhorted persons who had acquired land to begin developing it. He asserted that while priority had been given to local businesses to take up over 60 lots in the commercial zone, “Wwe don’t want land grabbers.” Prashad told the gathering that government had approved $50M which would be used for streets and drainage in the Lethem Commercial Zone.
Chairman of Region Nine Clarindo Lucas in his remarks urged the farmers to produce a large quantity of raw materials which, he said, would be needed to feed the industries which were expected to emerge out of the industrial zones of the region.
President of the RCCI John Macedo expressed thanks to the government for recognizing the private sector as the engine for growth and pledged that the Rupununi Chamber would endeavour to work in collaboration with the various regional and governmental authorities to realize the development of the commercial area in Lethem.
