Delivering the 2020 budget yesterday, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said the PPP/C government will pursue a series of promises for the indigenous peoples including the hiring of 2,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) and he also said $300m will be spent to spur agricultural activity.
These projects fall under the Amerindian and Hinterland Development section of the national budget and according to Edghill at the conclusion of his presentation on this sector, the projects are the key priorities of the government.
“Mr. Speaker, our first peoples in Guyana, for the last 5 years, were told of lofty promises and sold candy dreams but with no delivery. More jobs, improved healthcare, more access to education and acceleration of the land titling programme were among them. The reality is, from 2015-2020 there was the dismantling of the …CSOs programme putting almost 2,000 young Amerindians out of work, the stymieing of the Amerindian Land Titling Unit and the removal of resources previously earmarked for the development of their communities, such as for 6,000 household solar panel systems,” Edghill declared as he commenced the presentation for the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs sector.
He added that in light of the lacklustre performance and the debilitating far-reaching effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 budget will facilitate support for the Indigenous peoples in the areas of food security, youth development, student welfare, women’s initiatives, agriculture, eco-tourism, as well as grant monies to fund social and productive micro-projects.
As such, Edghill informed that $800 million has been allocated to the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), of which $300 million will be directed towards the purchase of tractors and accessories to incentivise agricultural economic activity within indigenous communities. Similarly, economic projects to generate income and stimulate growth will also be undertaken in the areas of farming of non-traditional crops, agro-processing, poultry rearing, and livestock rearing, among others.
The minister added that to support the effective governance function of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and as a gesture of respect for Guyana’s Indigenous peoples, an initial allocation of $10 million will be directed towards the design of a new head office for the Council.
Edghill went on to state that several projects that were dismantled by the previous government will be restarted. “This Government will also recommence support for women in entrepreneurial initiatives in an attempt to increase self-sufficiency and bolster economic independence, and expand their ability to support their families. These initiatives will include sewing, tourism projects and other projects to be managed by women. The students of the hinterland will also continue to be provided with school uniform assistance,” he assured.
The minister mentioned the proposed re-introduction of the ICT hub programme to 26 Indigenous communities. These communities, he posited, will prepare and equip the ICT hubs with the required equipment to allow the villages to be connected for leisure, learning and work. Additionally, Edghill said, 25,000 domestic solar photovoltaic units will be provided to households in the hinterland. This project, will be rolled out in a phased manner. And further, the CSO programme will also be re-introduced, providing employment for 2,000 Indigenous youths. These projects will all be funded by the ADF.
Aside from the stimulus provided by the ADF, Edghill informed that the government has allocated over $800 million for the Hinterland Roads Programme. These monies will be directed to the construction and rehabilitation of roads across Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. He noted that to complement those works, the Government has removed VAT on travel to the hinterland. These initiatives, he contended, will serve to stimulate economic activities within hinterland regions as Guyanese will now be able to travel to these areas for both business and leisure without having to pay a high price.
He stated that the Amerindian Land Titling programme will be resumed with vigour to ensure the rights of the nation’s indigenous peoples are once again protected, adding that indigenous communities will also be benefitting from the COVID-19 cash assistance programme announced by the government. “About 19,000 Amerindian households are expected to benefit from the $25,000 cash transfer, with an allocation of about $475 million,” the minister was quoted as saying.
