$4B allocated for Hinterland Plan of Action

Jan 31, 2016 News

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The Government’s Hinterland Plan of Action, seeks to promote the preservation of indigenous cultural identity, social integration, economic prosperity, green energy, sustainable development, protection of Indigenous lands, and building of physical infrastructure. To implement this plan, $4B has been allocated in the 2016 National Budget for its implementation.
The hinterland, home to Guyana’s Indigenous peoples, spreads across three-quarters of the nation’s landmass.
The plan of action was first announced by President David Granger during the National Toshaos’ Council meeting in 2015, when he cautioned about the general perception, hostile attitude and divisive policies meted out to the Indigenous peoples in the past.
Economic prosperity
According to Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, of the $4B allocated, $280 million will go towards the promotion of economic prosperity, tourism development and preserving cultural identity. This sum is inclusive of grants for 211 Indigenous communities that will build village economies and fund eco-tourism projects specifically for the 50th Independence anniversary celebration.
It also includes support to women’s groups, the construction of community centres and the procurement of musical instruments, sports gear and sewing machines for communities.
Minister Jordan explained that the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs will work with communities to prioritise the outcomes they want to achieve, and identify the key barriers to achieving them.
The Ministry will assist communities in designing projects that take a comprehensive approach to addressing their particular challenges, and develop plans to mitigate risks to development projects. Also catered for are plans for maintaining valuable community assets.
Education
In order to support hinterland education, the Government has made provision for the design of a new dormitory at Liliendaal, to accommodate students with interest in enrolling in institutions of higher learning.
Additionally, there will also be support to the Bina Hill Institute and the procurement of buses for the transportation of school children.
Nearly $1 B has been budgeted for the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) project. Launched in October 2015, the project will prepare youth for leadership roles in their communities.
This year, the project will provide training for more than 1,000 hinterland youths in areas such as garment construction, carpentry, joinery and entrepreneurship. It will entail six months of classroom training and a similar period for practical training.
Participants will benefit from a stipend as well as business mentoring. On completion of the training, participants will have the opportunity to develop viable business plans. Grants will be awarded for start-up projects.
Hinterland Scholarships
Moreover, education assistance for hinterland students will be fortified with the provision of school uniforms for over 30,000 school children at a cost of over $89 million and over 450 hinterland students will benefit from the Hinterland Scholarship Programme.
Infrastructure
Lack of access to markets is often a key barrier to community development. Communities will not benefit from new technologies or training if they cannot sell their products to a market for a profit. Costly transportation makes it difficult for hinterland communities to market their products and sell them at a competitive price.
Roads
To help in bridging the gap in living standards of residents of the coastal and hinterland regions, the Government has allocated over $2 billion for the establishment and improvement of physical infrastructure throughout the hinterland regions, in 2016.
Of this amount, the sum of $1.7 billion has been identified for the rehabilitation and surfacing of roads in areas such as Mahdia, Bartica, Ituni, Kurupukari, Tabatinga and Port Kaituma. Additionally, provision is made for the rehabilitation of the Bartica stelling.
Under the Hinterland Electrification Programme, over 6,000 solar home systems have been installed in communities in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
During this year, electricity systems in St. Cuthbert’s Mission, in Region Four; Orealla and Siparuta, in Region 6; and Culvert City, in Region 9, will be extended. The addition of these networks is intended to enhance the capacity of the grid to serve a larger segment of the population residing in these communities.
It is essential that public services touch every corner of the country. To make this possible, the provision to the National Communications Network has been increased to cater for the establishment of new communication stations in the hinterland regions. The intent is to extend the frequency of national radio and television to target persons in far flung areas.
New stations will help to promote Indigenous languages, culture and way of life while bridging the divide between the coast and the hinterland.

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