The Common Good- Working together to achieve the good life for all (Excerpts from an address by HE David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the 71st sitting of the 11th Parliament of Guyana on 2nd November 2017)

Nov 19, 2017 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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The enactment of the Telecommunications Act 2016 and the Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) Act will provide greater impetus to the liberalisation and regulation of telecommunications. The Ministry of Public Telecommunications has been strengthening the regulatory framework of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, digitizing education and establishing ICT hubs.
The Cyril Potter College of Education, the Carnegie School of Home Economics and 88 schools are among the educational institutions connected to the national network. Nine thousand laptop computers have been distributed under the One Laptop per Teacher Programme, launched on World Teachers’ Day on 5th October 2016.
The Ministry is collaborating with the University of Guyana to expand the University’s Campus Area Network (CAN). It expects to commission a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology at the Turkeyen campus in February 2018.
Communities that have been provided with free internet access at schools and key strategic locations include Aishalton, Annai, Bartica, Bamia, Baramita, Iwokrama, Lethem, Linden, Mabaruma, Mahdia, Masekenari, Matthew’s Ridge Orealla, Paramakatoi, Port Kaituma, Santa Rosa and Waramadong. More communities are scheduled for early implementation in financial year 2018.
The Ministry of Public Telecommunications, also, has established 53 ICT community hubs across the country and facilitated ICT sector investment. This will further boost the competitiveness of firms and accelerate the delivery of ICT-related services.
The country’s transportation network of aerodromes, bridges, roads, stellings and wharves has been improved. The Iwokrama aerodrome has been lengthened from 762 metres to 1219 metres. More than 30 hinterland aerodromes have been rehabilitated and maintained. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has completed the first phase of the upgrading of the Bartica Town stelling.
The four-lane extension of the East Bank Demerara Public Road has been completed. Village roads, extending over 100 km, have been constructed or repaired, including laying asphaltic cement pavements at Leguan, Lusignan and Victoria.
The country’s first pedestrian overpasses have been installed across the East Bank Demerara Public Road.
The new capital towns – Bartica, Lethem and Mabaruma – and other hinterland communities have benefitted from the repair of 801.2 km of roads. The rehabilitation of the Vreed-en-Hoop to Parika road is being completed. Urban roads, extending over 58.3 km in Georgetown and the capital towns of Linden and New Amsterdam, were repaired.
Your Government has fortified the Nation’s climate adaptation infrastructure.
Flooding in our National capital has been reduced as a result of the dredging of major drainage canals and repairs to sluices and pumps. Sea defences, extending 92 km along our coastline, were bolstered while the sea defence structures between Kingston and Ogle have been rehabilitated.
Your Government has also addressed the Nation’s power-generation needs. New power-generation sets, with a combined capacity of 14.2 megawatts, were procured for the towns of Anna Regina and Bartica and for Canefield. Solar energy systems, with a combined output of 3.35 megawatts have been installed at various locations including Mabaruma Town.
THE GOVERNANCE SECTOR
Your Government has been most diligent in fortifying the rule of law. The Ministry of Legal Affairs has strengthened the financial regulatory framework in order to insulate our economy from the proceeds of illicit activities.
The promulgation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (No. 2) Act 2015 provide greater safeguards and stronger enforcement, all aimed at ensuring the integrity of our country’s financial system.
Your Government has strengthened the country’s legal administrative system. The commissioning of a new, modern and improved headquarters of the Deeds and Commercial registries is aimed at preserving, protecting and promoting property rights.
The support for the establishment of a Family Court will enhance the system of justice. The creation of the Upper Demerara Magisterial District brings judicial services closer to the people and reduces inconvenience.
Your Government has re-established and made appointments to institutions decreed by our Constitution. A Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission and an Ombudsman were appointed. Acting appointments were made to the highest judicial posts.
A Public Procurement Commission has been established; the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, re-established; and the Judicial Service reconstituted. These appointments manifest your Government’s commitment to abide, at all times, with the Constitution.
Your Government has restored the people’s participation in local decision-making. Local government elections were reinstated after your Government piloted the passage of the Local Government (Amendment) Act 2015, the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Act 2015, the Municipal and District Councils and the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Act 2015.
This legislation allowed for the historic holding of local government elections on 18th March 2016. The establishment of three new towns – Bartica, Lethem, Mabaruma – further solidified our system of local democracy. The creation of new capital towns is driving the decentralization of development, moving authority away from the centre and placing power directly in the hands of the people.
Your Government, over the past 30 months, has begun the process of incubating the development potential of our regions. We have been ensuring that our regions are developed on the basis of ‘action plans’ which are crafted collaboratively by the regions themselves and which involve the main stakeholders.
The Ministry of Communities, in this regard, has established a National Regional Development Consultative Committee (NRDCC) to promote collaboration, cooperation and consultation within and between regions.
Plans of Action for Regional Development (PARDs) are being developed for each region. Regional Agricultural and Commercial Expositions (RACE) are catalyzing agriculture and agro-processing. Twelve neighborhood democratic councils, so far, have developed local area action plans (LAP).
Your Government’s housing policy is focused on affordable housing solutions to low-income workers and state employees. It promotes a holistic approach to community development through the provision of recreational, educational and sports facilities in addition to basic infrastructure services such as electricity, telephones, roads, solid waste disposal and pure water supply.
Work has commenced on the first batch of duplexes in the rural housing programme. We are expanding the Hinterland Housing Programme. Houses have been constructed at Sebai, Whitewater, Kwatamang and Massara.
The provision of water and sanitation services must become an entitlement of every citizen. We have expanded the provision of water to unserved communities and improved the quality of service. The commencement of the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Programme (WSSIP) will benefit more than 50,000 consumers through the construction of three new water treatment plants at Uitvlugt, Diamond and Sheet Anchor.

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