President David Granger on Friday announced that Bartica can expect the establishment of a technical institution if the incumbent APNU+AFC coalition is re-elected at the March 2nd elections.
“Bartica needs a technical institute to train the young people and boost the economy of this region and during our ‘Decade of Development,’ Bartica will have its own technical institute to train young people,” Granger was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as telling a rally held in the mining town.
The DPI said during his address the president reiterated the importance of youth and youth development, while saying that it was the previous administration that dismantled the National Youth Service, resulting in lack of opportunity for youth development and empowerment.
“In 2000, the PPP broke up the National Service but I set it back up. The Youth Corps is in service and young people can go into the core so they can be trained to get jobs,” he said.
According to the report, Granger said that since assuming office, youth development and empowerment have been high on the coalition’s agenda and he cited the rolling out of the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) and Hinterland Employment Youth Service (HEYS) programmes as evidence to make his case. “We have started to give people not a handout but a heads up so they can get their own enterprises running,” he remarked.
According to Granger, over 2,500 youths have benefitted from the HEYS programme and several billions of dollars have been distributed as grants to young people to get their businesses off the ground. “You can’t run a government on spite. I will run this government on right and it is right to give employment to young people,” he was also quoted as saying.
The report said the president also took the opportunity to assure miners that they need not fear as the coalition is looking to promote small-and medium-scale mining and protect against “bullyism” in the industry.
Additionally, DPI noted that Granger also reiterated the coalition’s commitment to ensuring every Guyanese citizen has a roof over their head. He said that it is the vision of his administration to eliminate poverty and ensure persons don’t live “hand to mouth”.
