According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, Ramotar presented the cheques to senior councillor Bertie Xavier for the construction of a village office and an eco-tourism project. The project is expected to create jobs and training opportunities in hospitality and tour guiding. Persons will also be trained to conduct cassava processing demonstrations.
The president also told community members that money to kick-start their Community Development Projects (CDPs) will soon be distributed with the signing of the Guyana REDD Investment Fund (GRIF) in August. One hundred and sixty-six CDPs designed and approved at the village level will be implemented with the $1.2B GRIF fund that government is implementing with partner agency the United Nations Development Programme. Kwaimatta (cassava production,) Rupertee, (cassava processing facility), Aranaputa (cash crop farm), Annai Central (aquaculture farm) Apoteri (skill centre) and Wowetta (eco-tourism project) are expected to be among the first beneficiaries.
GINA said government is heartened by the news that 80 per cent of the CDPs are agriculture-based especially with plans to improve ingress and egress with upgrades to the Linden/Lethem road. Ramotar said this augurs well for the integration of the coastland and interior, the reduction in the cost of living and in the interior. This is particularly important as Guyana is viewed as a gateway to South America for Caricom and vice, versa. The president also revealed that plans are in train to build an all-weather road through the Rupununi.
“You will then have a bigger market to sell your products to and a road of that nature can make it cheap to take your products down. That is why we want to build that road,” Ramotar said.
The presidential team also distributed sewing machines and chainsaws to residents of the three communities and an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to be used to tackle malaria. Yakarinta, Crash Water and Toka were handed over cheques valued in millions to fund development projects.
In response to residents who complained about the dearth of jobs in the region, the president said as plans move apace to source cheap energy, government can encourage investments in the Rupununi like agro- processing where the job possibilities are endless. Government has also been encouraging communities that are at the centre of natural settings to pioneer nature-based ecotourism that attract tourists who are looking for unique adventures.
“We want to do another kind of tourism which is called community tourism where 85 percent of the dollar must stay in the country… the community will be the tourist guides, the community will provide the food for the people so that the community can develop,” Ramotar said.
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n his remarks, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran told residents that Cuba-trained Guyanese doctors will soon be deployed to the area but in the interim, some of the country’s best doctors will be arriving in roving teams, periodically. In response to concerns by a resident of Annai, Ramsaran promised to look into improvements at the Lethem Regional hospital laboratory section and upgrades to the maternity section of the Annai hospital.
