GRA donates 2 boats, engines to hinterland residents

Residents in riverain and far-flung hinterland communities will soon benefit from two boats and engines which were donated to the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry to assist in meeting the residents’ transportation needs.
The 250-foot long vessels and 70 horsepower outboard engines were presented to Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, by the Guyana Revenue Authority on Wednesday at the Marine Police wharf, Ruimveldt.
The donated vessels will be distributed to those Indigenous communities that have pressing transportation issues. “…We intend to make good use of this equipment, of course after we would have had a discussion with the most needed communities in those areas and we know that transportation is of great importance to our hinterland communities,” Minister Allicock said.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Minister said consideration will also be given to residents in communities along the Berbice and Demerara Rivers and Region One (Barima-Waini) who are in dire need of assistance to transport their produce from the farms to the markets.
This is the first of several transport vessels that will be handed over to hinterland communities in 2018. Some six villages will receive outboard engines and 10 villages will receive grants to build boats. Moreover, four ATVs will be bought in 2018 to serve communities in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).