Govt invests $85M in President’s Youth Advisory Council – Prime Minister

– reiterates Govt’s commitment to overall development of Guyanese

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Friday reiterated the Government’s commitment to the overall development of Guyanese under its “One Guyana” policy approach.

“We understand very well that it is the people who elected us into the offices that we hold and the power, therefore, belongs to them. Hence, our services are to and for them…we take care in the way we operate to ensure that no one person ever feels disadvantaged or excluded for any reason.”
These were the sentiments of Phillips during the virtual 18th ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly, titled “Rebuilding the Social Contract”. At the forum, he outlined some of the steps the Government has been taking to ensure fairness and equitable development in the administration of the affairs of the State.
He said that constitutional reform is high on the Government’s agenda and that a draft has been made publicly available to give all stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the consultation process.
Additionally, he said that a total of $85 million was budgeted between 2020 and 2021 for the functioning of the President’s Youth Advisory Council, which will allow young people to play a more active role in policy formation.
“The Youth Advisory Council’s secretariat has already been established within the Office of the President and will become fully functional very soon.”
The Prime Minister said too that the Government has been actively including women and vulnerable groups in its programmes as part of its developmental agenda.
“Our Government has designed and implemented programmes for vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities, women, and children… earlier this year our Government launched the first-ever business incubator dedicated to women which will give assistance and support to budding female entrepreneurs. Certified training programmes in diverse areas are also available to women countrywide to develop and enhance their skills.”
The Prime Minister also detailed his Government’s plans for bridging the digital divide through the “ICT Access for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities” project, the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, and the complete removal of taxes from data.
ParalAmericas comprises 35 national legislatures from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Among its goals is the facilitation of parliamentary best practices, promotion of cooperative political dialogue, mainstreaming of gender equality, and strengthening of democratic systems.