Govt aims at providing 10,000 part-time jobs countrywide – VP Jagdeo

…initiative for over 1000 part-time jobs launched in Reg 5

As the demand for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s part-time job initiative grows, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has revealed that the Administration will target 10,000 persons who will benefit from these jobs countrywide.

Jagdeo visited Region Five on Tuesday, where he launched the part-time jobs initiative at the Mahaicony Technical Institute. The Vice President emphasised that the initiative is meant to provide people with extra income, while they seek to improve themselves.

Jagdeo announced that over 1000 persons would benefit from the programme in that region. But countrywide, the number of persons expected to benefit has risen from the 8000 quoted earlier this year, to 10,000.

According to the Vice President, these 10,000 persons will be expected to make full use of the programme while explaining that it is designed in a way to minimise the need for persons to travel far distances.

“This initiative is to give people an opportunity to get an income, while they are studying or looking at something else. And there’s going to be 10,000 Guyanese. In this room we probably have 200 people. So, imagine what 10,000 looks like. So, 10,000 of our people working through this programme.”

“So, I hope that all of you make full use of this programme. This is not free money. You have to work for 10 months. But we will ensure that you’re placed in an area that minimises you having to travel and all of that. So, when we designed the programme, we designed it in a manner where you can be placed in Government facilities close to you and even private facilities that perform a social function.”

Examples Jagdeo provided of this are day-care facilities. He also noted that from the time they are employed, these persons will become employees of the State. Persons in Region Five registered for the jobs and signed their contracts to begin work during the Vice President’s visit.

Jagdeo also explained that pre-COVID, Guyana lost some 35,000 jobs under the previous Government, while heavy taxation and the unconscionable shutdown of the sugar industry imposed undue hardships on the citizens.

The situation was exacerbated when the pandemic hit and the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) shut down the country, resulting in the loss of another 35,000 to 40,000 jobs. In light of this inherited situation, the VP explained to the crowd that the Government has put mechanisms in place to reduce the economic impacts on Guyanese.

An estimated 50,000 jobs were lost from different sectors during the reign of the previous APNU/AFC Administration, the majority from the sugar industry. Additionally, between 35,000 to 40,000 persons were made jobless when the country was locked down for about one year.

In the period leading up to the March 2020 national elections, the now ruling PPP/C while on the campaign trail had promised to create 50,000 jobs during its five-year term. The party had promised that sugar workers would have gotten back their jobs.

Previously, Jagdeo had said that there is a lack of skilled labour and Government is putting things in place to address this. This is being done by offering training for persons. The former Head of State pointed out that while there is a labour shortage in Region Four, Region Five and Six have a shortage of skilled labour.