“No community will be left behind” – Min Todd assures Lindeners

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd on Monday assured residents of Linden that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will ensure that all communities benefit from some form of development, and that the financial disposition of the common man is improved.
During the rollout of Government’s flood relief grants for farmers at the Mackenzie High School, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Todd told residents that the Government is keen on ensuring no community is left behind.

“You have a Government that is pro-people, pro-poor and we understand the economics of basket, the most basic level. We believe in development from the bottom-up and top-down. So, we’re not in Government to take care of the business class only, but each individual throughout the length and breadth of this country. Every community is important to us because we believe in balanced development. No community must be left behind,” the Minister said.
With the windfall of opportunities set to take centre stage, he added that systems must be in place to ensure that Guyanese benefit. The Minister reminded that agriculture is one traditional sector which Government is looking to expand and diversify.

“We want you to be assured that Government will stand by you through thick and thin. We want you to succeed. We want you to take care of your families, grow and expand. We want you to be part of the prosperity here in Guyana. We’re a Government that understands management of prices and we also understand the plight of the business community. Agriculture is still our traditional sector that we will never forego.
We have taken back leadership of the agricultural food agenda at the level of Caricom. We are going to diversity our agriculture sector; commercialise it; upgrade it to smart farming; and scale and size where we will be able to satisfy not only our own national demands, but also to provide for the rest of Caricom and further afield,” Minister Todd told the farmers.
He acknowledged that when there are disruptions, it can cause a domino effect of negatives for farmers and the country. However, the country must be able to maintain food security, not just for the country but the wider region.
“Food security is very important for us. Linden, like many other communities in Guyana, have farmers. We depend on some level of predictability to be able to have the kinds of yield so that we can get returns in our investment. When there is a disruption, it can affect economic gains and how we can take care of our families. More importantly, it affects how we feed our own people. We’re very cognisant of that and we know that many of us don’t have six, seven, eight months of reserves in terms of cash.”
Government started its $7.8 billion flood relief compensation package for ordinary citizens who lost crops and livestock due to recent floods in August.
Between May and June this year, heavy rains resulted in widespread flooding across the country, affecting thousands of households. The devastation included submerged buildings and vehicles with adverse effects on crops, livestock and health.
It has been noted that the rainfall experienced in May alone was recorded as the second highest level of rainfall across the country in the last 40 years. All 10 administrative regions in Guyana experienced varied levels of flooding, prompting Government to roll out immediate responses such as evacuation of those most at risk and flood assistance.