Amerindians will enter new era of economic empowerment – Pres Ali

…says Govt will continue to support land rights, development

President Dr Irfaan Ali and a team of officials including members of his Cabinet on Saturday attended the Regional Toshaos Meeting which was attended by leaders from over 50 communities in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), who were told of the Government’s plans to empower the Indigenous community.
In his address to the Amerindian leaders who gathered in Lethem for the meeting, the Head of State said that his Government will not only ensure that Amerindians are economically empowered, but that they are also integrally involved in the national decision-making process.

“I assure you that you will not be side-lined from the process of national development but rather, be integral to that process. One of the purposes of the National Toshaos Conference is to allow you to have an insight into national development plans and to contribute to the fashioning of these plans, particularly as they relate to the well-being of Amerindians,” Ali told the leaders.
The Government, he said, is committed to strengthening “your inclusion in national decision-making. We will engage with you continuously and do so in a genuine spirit of inclusion.”

The Head of State also emphasised that Government is devoted to the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) when it comes to policies that affect the well-being and rights of Indigenous Guyanese. He also spoke to the importance of land for Indigenous development, which is why provisions were made in the budget to make Amerindian Land Titling a priority.
“We will foster Amerindian economic empowerment across all ten of the country’s administrative regions. We will continue to support your rights, including your just entitlement to Amerindian lands.”
“My Administration has already commenced a project to restore and establish a mechanism through which will resolve all outstanding land disputes and expedite the land titling process,” President Ali said.

Development
Meanwhile, President Ali assured that Government, as represented by the various Cabinet Ministers and other Government officials, will continue to engage with the village leaders and will dedicate themselves to enhancing their development.
The Head of State also pointed out that over the past year, the Government has been proactively promoting Indigenous development. He reminded the Toshaos that the national budget has allocated in excess of $5.4 billion for the development of Amerindian and hinterland communities.
Ali assured of improvements to social services, health facilities and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services that will go towards bridging the standards of living gap between Amerindian communities and those on the coast.
He said that these improvements will not only enhance their overall development, but will empower hundreds of their youths that are currently enrolled in the GOAL 20,000 online scholarship programme.
“We are responding to your appeals for the establishment of a permanent well-staffed, well-equipped and fully-supported Secretariat building,” the President said, adding that the Government is also examining the prospect of having farmers licensed to own firearms.
The President also highlighted that infrastructural development will be a central focus in order to reduce the time and cost for the movement of goods and services. According to him, infrastructure will be linked to economic empowerment. Equitable development, according to the President, is also important.
“There is no green Guyana, my brothers and sisters. There is no red Guyana, there is no yellow Guyana, there is no orange Guyana—there is one Guyana, one people, one nation with one destiny,” he said.

Regional strategy
Meanwhile, regional community leaders were also reminded that their communities benefitted from Government’s interventions through the Presidential Grants and the Economic Investment Fund.
This resulted in the allocation of $68.3 million to support community development in 2020. He also noted that the region has benefited from $456 million to finance projects and proposals under the Economic Investment Fund. Additionally, community development projects aimed at improving connectivity and sustainable livelihoods have also been supported.
Another bold initiative that President Ali spoke about is the Hinterland Housing Project, which he said they’re looking to launch. Additionally, he assured that local content would be kept in mind for the project, ensuring that materials and labour are sourced locally to add to the development of the region and its communities. He also spoke of climate change.
“We have seen the floods—bigger and more forceful than ever…therefore, our infrastructure and our approach to development has to take climate change and the spinoff of climate change into consideration.”
The President said that the Regional Conference has to address, in a substantive way, the economic, social and environmental concerns of the people of the region and should focus on food security, economic diversification, empowerment and social transformation as it relates to health, housing, education and social welfare.
He said this should be done in order to provide Amerindians with enhanced livelihoods, greater justice, more opportunities, higher levels of education, agricultural expansion, more jobs, greater integration with the coast, improved health, water, sanitation, housing and infrastructure.
After the formal part of the meeting, President Ali engaged the community leaders in a question and answer segment where he addressed all of their inquiries and gave them additional information on the Government’s projects and developments that will go towards improving their lives. (G3)