Job seekers in Reg 6 can register with newly resuscitated recruitment agency

The Manpower Agency in Region Six has been resuscitated and is now allowing persons seeking employment to get registered so that there can be a cohort of available labour for employers.
This comes on the heels of Berbice business people complaining that locals are not willing to work even though they offer attractive remuneration packages – a claim which heavy-duty machine operators have refuted, contending that the Private Sector needs to offer employees more than just a salary.
The Manpower Agency, formerly known as the Employment Exchange, was established by the Government of Guyana in 1944 and over the years was viewed by many as a non-functional agency.
But according to Regional Chairman David Armogan, persons can make contact with the agency through the offices attached to the Labour Ministry at New Amsterdam and Corriverton.
The Regional Chairman explained that businesses and persons looking for labour can also register with the agency.
“In many overseas countries there are many of these; it is time for us to have it here in our country,” he told the Region Six Regional Democratic Council (RDC) during a recent meeting.
It was at another meeting, between the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh that the issue of a labour shortage was highlighted.

President of the Guyana Rice Producers Association, Leakha Rambrich had pointed out that with the shortage of available skilled labourers in the region and increased acreage being put under rice production, there is a need now for farmers to move to aerial spraying of their rice crops.
This, he told the Finance Minister, will require a proper airstrip in the region. The application for that has already been made and consultations were had with key stakeholders.
“We are heading into a very huge crop where at least 60,000 acres will be under cultivation and if permission is not given to operate the airstrip in the shortest possible period, we would hinder ourselves in serious problems,” he told the Minister.
According to Minister Singh, the matter is currently receiving the attention of the Cabinet.
In September, Minister Singh and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill held a consultation with residents living and farming in close proximity to the site of the airstrip at Number 36 Village Corentyne.
In addition, consultations were also held with residents of the four polders in Black Bush; Lesbeholden, Mibicuri, Johanna and Yakusari in relation to the proposed aerial operations.
“We discussed the whole issue to see if they agree with it or if they have any problems with it. Generally, the consensus is that they agree to aerial spraying because even the rice farmers in the Black Bush Polder are having difficulty getting labour or people to work in the rice fields to do fertilising and spraying of chemicals,” the regional official stated.
However, while residents in the Black Bush Polder have given their approval for aerial spraying, they have listed concerns over the way in which it is being conducted.
“One of the concerns is that spraying must not be done in the residential area because they have people who are planting rice in residential areas. So, we have to make that very clear that that is one of the conditions under which we are agreeing that spraying must not in the residential areas and spraying must not be in close proximity to the cash crop areas,” Armogan added.
The Chairman further added that aerial spraying of rice takes place on the Essequibo Coast and it was also previously done in Region Six.