Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Ashni Singh yesterday highlighted the government’s commitment to sustainable development in Amerindian communities, while divulging that their carbon credit funds have been disbursed.
Speaking at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, a press release from the Office of the President said, Singh told the toshaos that the government was continuing to make significant investments in hinterland and Amerindian communities as the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration was “committed to improving and building strong and sustainable economies in every single Amerindian village”.
Singh said that the government, under the leadership of President Irfaan Ali, was also committed to creating opportunities for Amerindian citizens to be able to uplift themselves, improve their own well-being and prosperity and that of their families and communities. According to the press release, he listed the many opportunities available to Indigenous people and the various sectors in which the government has been working with communities to assist them in developing and uplifting the lives of residents.
“This PPP/C Govern-ment places the highest level of importance on development of our hinterland regions and Amer-indian communities, and this is evidenced by the huge and unprecedented investments that we are making in all aspects in hinterland development and in all aspects of life in our Amerindian communities,” Singh was quoted as saying.
The release said the minister outlined development activities the government has been spearheading in communities including in “infrastructure and transport infrastructure, hinterland roads to improve access to all communities, investment in electricity, including ensuring that every household has a solar panel and in larger communities – the construction of mini grids and mini hydros for large communities like Lethem and Kumu. This was in addition to investments in hinterland water supply systems, investment in health and in education and the unprecedented number of schools, hospitals and health centres that we are building out.”
According to the release, Singh said that the government has also invested in information communication technology (ICT) in various villages, including through the activation of ICT hubs and delivering connectivity to communities as well as investments to ensure the achievement of sustainable village economies.
Singh stated that ongoing investments were being made to promote and expand agricultural activities in villages, particularly through the use of financial resources allocated to communities from carbon credit sales through the government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), it added.
“I want to repeat the observation that in 2023 your villages got a total of $4.7 billion… under the LCDS, and those funds have already been disbursed. That on its own represents the single largest financial injection into our Amerindian communities throughout history.
”As you know we had originally committed and we had delivered 15 percent of sale proceeds in 2023. The amount allocated in 2024 represents 26.5 percent and that amount has already been disbursed and I am advised that those amounts are already being credited to your accounts and should be in your accounts by close of business today,” the release quoted Singh as saying.
