President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced that his Government will invest in an additional ferry to service the Essequibo coast to Parika route to unlock the county’s full potential and increase tourism.
The Head of State made the announcement during a visit to Mashabo Village on the Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
“We are going to invest in one additional ferry to service Essequibo so that we can build the full potential of Essequibo and what you can achieve here”, he said, according to a release from the Office of the President.
The President told the residents of Mashabo that he is proud of the tourism product that they are building and that his government will make the necessary investment to support them.
One way to support this development, the President said, is by increasing the number of trips between Parika and the Essequibo coast.
“During the Easter holidays, many businesses across Essequibo called me and said that they couldn’t get on the boat. People who were coming to spend a weekend couldn’t get on the boat because there wasn’t enough space available. That is why …we have to fix it. This is how these investments are linked to your community”, he said.
The President also said that starting in September, personnel from the Joint Services will visit the village to provide training in service-oriented tourism to the youth of the village.
In addition to developing tourism, President Ali outlined several agricultural initiatives for a more resilient and sustainable community.
The President said that his government will be providing six land tillers, farming tools, and equipment to the village in order to assist the farmers in increasing their production.
Stressing the important role women play in agriculture for both the community and the region, the President said that the Government will also mobilise the women of the community who are under 35 in a cage farming project. He said that not only will the Government provide the cages, but it will also provide 3,000 fish and access to the market, which will aid in the selling of their products.
In addition to these projects, the President said that to boost the community’s egg production, the Government will provide 25 Black Giant layer birds to each household.
“So if you have 3,000 Black Giants, in six months every day you should have 3,000 eggs in the village that now can support the school feeding programme, it can support your tourism project, and it can help you also to sell outside of the village”, he said.
The Head of State also announced that the government will support the development of 10 acres of land for pineapple farming. This project will specifically involve the young people of the community.
“We’re working day out, day in to give you all a better shot at life, to improve your circumstances. To give these young children the same opportunity any young child on the coast will have, to give them the same shot at education that any other child on the coast will have”, he said, according to the press release.
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr Ashni Singh and Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha were also part of the meeting.
