President Irfaan Ali on Sunday in Region Six announced that in the last three years, his government has invested over $11b in drainage and irrigation.
Reminding that Region Six is known to be an “agriculture region”, Ali said, “In the last three years in this region alone we have invested more than $11 B in drainage and irrigation and while we have invested $11b in drainage and irrigation we’ve removed all the increases in taxes, the license fees and all the charges they had applied to D&I.”
In comparison between 2015 – 2020, the APNU+AFC in drainage and irrigation “the foundational pillar of agriculture in this region” invested $1.7b. “And for the first time rates collection was introduced and increased for drainage and irrigation in our country, for the first time our country was told that rice is ‘private business’ and that is the foundational pillar of the economy of this region.”
Turning to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), NAREI and Fisheries, and GRDB, Ali said, that the previous government during their five-year tenure spent less than 10% of what the present government would have spent in three years. “In five years under those heads that are critical for food production and agriculture development, they have spent less than 10%.”
The president stated that these statistics are important to highlight and that citizens “must care” as with the lack of investments the “economy of the region was brutally dead” resulting in people moving from the region.
However, with an increased investment the region is now moving to an improved livelihood for citizens, he said.
Meanwhile, in terms of sea defences in Region Six, in the last three years, the government has spent almost $4.5 B, for farm-to-market access roads some $1.7 B was expended, while $8.5 B was expended on public and main roads with $27 B being expended on miscellaneous and urban roads.
