During a visit to the Upper Mazaruni on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said that the Government is working to provide internet connectivity to all hinterland areas before the end of the year.
Speaking as the 25th Annual Upper Mazaruni District Games kicked off at the Kamarang Sports Ground, Phillips adverted to the expansion of the Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) devices initiative to Region Seven and the entire Hinterland, a release from his office said.
Phase One successfully connected Regions one and two, while Phase Two is set to commence in August, beginning with Region Seven and progressively extending throughout the Hinterland, a release from Phillips’ office said.
“We are bringing development to all your communities. Every community in the Upper Mazaruni will be developed, not only in sport, but in every other aspect of development,” he declared.
The Prime Minister said that “From 2020 to now, we have spent over $70b on hinterland development in all aspects. We have more to spend from 2024 and 2025—five years of development that will encompass all of Guyana, both the coastline and the hinterland.”
While commending the organisers for their sustained efforts over the past 25 years, the Prime Minister also emphasised the Government’s dedication to improving the sports facilities in the area.
He said that in 2022, President Irfaan Ali committed to developing the ground to regulation size, and thus far, a significant amount of money has been spent on the development of the Kamarang ground (Tunnel Tigers Sports ground), with the installation of lights featuring underground wiring, the construction of new stands, and rehabilitation works on the ground.
“We have spent some $21m in bringing the ground to this standard to host these games. That is how serious we are about sport in Guyana,” the PM stated.
Additionally, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs donated $1.5m for the overall support of the games, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport contributed $1.7m in trophies and other support.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, also presented a GOLDLINK diesel engine generator to the Toshao of Kako Village, which was facilitated through the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, the release said.
The single-phase unit, boasting 27.5 kVA (22 kW) of power at 235V and 60 Hz, is valued at approximately $4m.
