Amerindians were “disrespected” during APNU/AFC Govt – Charlie

Government Member of Parliament (MP), Alister Charlie, in a fiery presentation during day two of the Budget debate, blasted the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) for “disrespecting” hinterland residents and halting several of the development projects in their communities which were crafted by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration prior to 2015.
Charlie posited that the current Administration has crafted Budget 2020 with the aim of fixing all that was destroyed by the previous coalition Government owing to a lack of vision for hinterland development.
“It’s time to rebuild what you have broken,” he declared to the Opposition, with support from his colleagues in the Government benches.
He waded in to APNU/AFC MPs, who he accused of painting a different picture that everything was “bright and beautiful”, but at the level of the village “it was a different reality”.
The MP labelled Budget 2020 as “inclusive and equitable” and geared towards providing better opportunities for communities across Guyana, including those in the hinterland.
Amerindian development, he posited, became a priority under the PPP/C with specially designed programmes.
He argued that under the PPP/C Administration, the water sector in those communities had experienced “unprecedented progress and development,” and assured that the current Government will continue along this path.
“Budget 2020 caters for numerous socio-economic initiatives for implementation in hinterland communities; all with the aim of bringing hinterland development in conjunction to the coastal development, without sacrificing traditional mores and customs,” he asserted.
Charlie noted that included in this year’s budget was funding for development projects that would seek to make hinterland communities more self-sufficient.
The MP pointed to the presidential grants, which he said would allow many Amerindian communities to engage in projects that would provide jobs and training for households. This, he said, will seek to empower hinterland residents.
Turning his attention to the issue of land titling, he reminded that it was the APNU/AFC that brought the project to a halt. He noted that the US$10.7 million project was meant to ensure that hinterland residents were provided with certificates of title, but this never happened.
He assured that the PPP/C would bring back the programme and ensure that residents were given what was s rightfully theirs.
Charlie added that hinterland communities would be provided with electricity though the Hinterland Electrification Programme.
In terms of education, he noted that Budget 2020 made provision for residents in hinterland communities to have easy access to education, including at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

“Each student from the hinterland schools will benefit from the PPP/C Government’s “Because We Care” initiative,” he expressed.
Further, in relation to health, Charlie said that health care in hinterland communities was “neglected” during the tenure of the coalition Government, but this would change immediately under the new Administration.