Duty free ATVs & boat engines, home improvement subsidies, cargo boat for Reg 1 – Pres Ali

– higher salaries for CSOs, 1000 new healthcare jobs to come

From duty-free taxes on All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and outboard engines, to home improvement subsidies and 1,000 new jobs, residents of Region One (Barima-Waini) can expect continued benefits and transformative development over the next five years under the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
These and other initiatives were outlined by President Dr Irfaan Ali in his bid for a second term in office. He told thousands of supporters at a PPP/C public meeting in the Moruca Sub-district on Saturday that the party is committed to continue enhancing every aspect of their lives. As such, he announced interventions aimed at easing the high cost of travel in hinterland regions. For persons buying boat engines up to 150 hp, Ali declared “…we’ll remove the duty for hinterland and riverine communities.”

“We’re going to remove the taxes on duties on ATVs so that you can have ATVs VAT-free and tax free for the hinterland and riverine areas.”
Similarly, the President added that there will also be special tax incentives on four-door, four-wheel vehicles for persons living and working in the hinterland and riverine areas. Ali reminded that the current PPP/C Administration removed the VAT that the previous APNU+AFC regime had imposed on travel. Despite this, he recognised that transport still remains expensive and he has committed to making the necessary investments to bring down costs of air travel, air freight, riverine travel and transport within hinterland communities.
“We’re going to find innovative ways in which we give your communities support and grants to help with your transportation costs,” the President assured.
Back in 2023, the Ali-led PPP/C Government operationalised an ocean-going ferry, MV MA Lisha, to service the Georgetown to Region One route. Plans are now underway for a second ferry. “We’ve already paid down last week for a second ferry to come here in Region One because we’ve seen the impact of the first ferry already. Right here, we’ve [also] awarded the contract for a cargo boat to take your goods to Charity. And that boat will be brought here within the next three months,” Ali told residents of Region One on Saturday.

24-hour electricity
According to Ali, the next five years will be an exciting time for the transformation of the landscape across Region One, with new road projects, schools, hospitals, enhanced utility services, and facilities to boost commercial activities.
“Every single village that is on the riverfront, we are going to build a proper landing facility so that your farmers, children and residents can have access to proper boating and landing facilities. In the coming months and years, we’re going to expand your electricity supply so you can have 24-hour supply here and we can extend the service to other villages here within the subregion,” the President noted. With plans to construct concrete roads in several communities, Ali said residents there will be given the tools and equipment to build these roads themselves so that the money can remain in the community.
He went on to talk about plans for the agriculture sector in the Barima-Waini region which includes a multi-purpose facility, support for large scale coffee and cocoa cultivation, financing and technical support, market access, agro-processing hub and cold storage facilities in every sub-district to support farmers and other producers like poultry.

Bottling plant for coconut water
In fact, the President detailed plans to expand the livestock industry in Region One by ten-fold, as well as co-invest opportunities in aquaculture facilities to position the region as a major supplier in the seafood market.
He further recognised that many persons have returned to coconut production and as a result, he revealed that the Government will invest in a coconut water bottling plant in Region One with opportunities for export to Caribbean via the new wharf being constructed at Charity. He also assured farmers of continued support from the PPP/C Government with equipment, subsidies and fertilisers. Moreover, he outlined similar support for forestry groups in communities and small loggers, who will benefit from equipment and financing.
The President further noted that the new administration plans to create tourism hubs in Moruca, co-investing with young people there. The aim, he added, is to market the region as a tourism hub and create jobs. He further promised more allowances and higher salaries for doctors, nurses and teachers.

Job creation & CSOs
According to Ali, with a new modern state-of-the-art hospital being constructed at Moruca, this opens up employment opportunities for some 1000 residents there. “We’re looking to train all the persons that we will need to work in that hospital from right within your community. The nurses, the dentists, the pharmacists, the doctors, the medical technicians, the lab technicians – we will invest to train your young people so they can work at that hospital, creating more than 1000 new jobs in health sector alone,” the President stated.
Also on jobs, he announced pay increases for Community Service Officers (CSOs). “We’re going to increase the salaries of our CSOs and ensure they’re paid monthly. But we’re also going to open up more opportunities for our CSOs because we want our CSOs to graduate to better jobs, to higher-paying jobs. We want to invest in our CSOs and our young people so that they can upskill themselves,” Ali stressed.
Just last year, CSOs received a stipend increase in line with the wages paid to workers under the Government’s part-time jobs initiative. The adjustment raised the stipend from $30,000 to $40,000,
The CSO programme is a youth empowerment initiative, specifically targeting Amerindian communities and those in riverine and remote areas. It provides employment and opportunities for personal development through training in various fields, including tourism and information and communications technology (ICT). Under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) regime, some 2000 CSOs were fired and had to be rehired by the current PPP/C Administration.

Home improvement subsidy
Meanwhile, the President also disclosed that a special land titling programme will be rolled out in Region One in the next term, coupled with other activities in the housing sector like a special home improvement.
“All of you will benefit from a special subsidy to improve your homes, to build stronger homes because we believe in the family. We believe that strong homes, good infrastructure, good recreational facilities all help in developing stronger families. Good educational facility, good healthcare facility – all of these help in building stronger families,” he stated.
According to Ali, these investments will not only create opportunities to residents of the Barima-Waini region but also bridge the gap with rest of country. This, he pointed, is a priority for the PPP/C.
These are just some of the many commitments that the PPP/C have outlined for the new term in office. The party’s full agenda will be laid out in its 2025 manifesto that will be launched later this month ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections.