Region 8 must get maximised benefits from its resources

– Minister Bulkan tells Kurukubaru residents

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan has reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to democratic governance and to honouring constitutional provisions to ensure democracy for all.
The Minister was at the time delivering the feature address at the flag raising ceremony held at Kurukubaru, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
He told those gathered that Republic Day represents the moment in history that the people received the power to make their own decisions, through their elected representatives.

Central Government’s policy of local empowerment, the Communities Minister said, stems from respect for the role of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) as the organ possessing the constitutional responsibility to manage and develop the region.
“The Administration is committed to a strategic policy of regionalism, and of reducing the inequality between conditions on the coastland and those here in the heartland,” he noted.
Minister Bulkan said the Government was aware that the road network linking villages and communities in the North Pakaraimas needed major upgrading and that citizens faced other daily challenges.
He assured the gathering: “This awareness will eventually become a reality. We won’t achieve all our goals overnight. We know that you need well-paying jobs, we know that your senior citizens need high-quality healthcare, we know that your children should have a good education.”
Citizens were guaranteed that the Kato Secondary School Complex will be completed satisfactorily, representing an almost $1 billion investment in education.
As the Government moves forward with its efforts towards regionalism, the Minister said each region would be further empowered. Mahdia, he said, will soon formally become a capital town.
“Each capital town will be equipped to deliver essential services to the citizens of the Region. Services such as land registration, issuing of licences and passports, and obtaining NIS and pension books, among many other services, no longer will you have to travel to the city for basic services,” he pointed out.
Minister Bulkan noted that as the regions became further empowered and as the Central Government helped to build regional capacity, it is expected that the resulting stronger regions would have greater need to cooperate with each other.
An example of Government’s commitment to regionalism is the establishment of the Regional Public Broadcasting Service, which will see each region having its own radio station, the Minister pointed out.
“There is the need for this, because Guyana is so large that many citizens are out of range of national radio. Also, citizens need to have access to news about what is taking place in their own regions and you need to be aware of what Government is doing to help you to improve your lives.”
He reminded the citizens that they had the power to improve their lives and assured that as they sought to build better futures, the Administration stood ready to support their efforts.