President pledges to rehabilitate community centre grounds in Berbice

Oct 11, 2020 News

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– $2.9 B in capital expenditure for Region Six

Kaieteur News – Residents in the communities of Skeldon, Line Path; Port Mourant; and New Amsterdam were yesterday given the opportunity to meet and air their concerns to the President of Guyana Irfaan Ali and the Regional Democratic Council Region Six, team. Many of the issues raised centred on the need for better access streets in their villages and the rehabilitation of the community Center Grounds for use by residents and generally youths for their extracurricular activities.

As he addressed the residents at Skeldon, Line Path, he stated that his government is committed to making the lives of Guyanese easier and as such, they have made possible several promises outlined in their manifesto. He assured that all promises made in the manifesto will be realized over the next five years of their government. In that regard, he highlighted that the old-age pension will be doubled within the five years and there will be increases in the uniform allowance. He mentioned that the house to house distribution of the $25,000 per household commenced yesterday and “we are doing all of this despite the economic challenges, despite the loss in revenue as a result of the pandemic but we realized that we have to cut expenditure that was wastefully used in the past and return that money to the people, and that is what budget 2020 did.”

The President posited that budget 2020 has created new hope and opened an array of opportunities for Guyanese and with the private sector being actively involved in the economic aspect of the country’s growth. Ali said his government is making significant investments in the sugar sector with the aim of making it viable and sustainable once again.

“The socio-economic impact in the community is too important for us to ignore, and as I am here, let me say that our commitment to the nurses has not weakened a single bit. As a matter of fact, our commitment to the nurses and every single worker in this country is strengthened and our commitment will be realized.”

He reiterated that $150 M for frontline workers was set aside and agreed with the thousands of Guyanese that the police, army, public servants, sugar workers, farmers, doctors, nurses, etc “all deserve better”, he said, “and they will get better under the PPP/c government.”

He, however, called on the frontline workers to exercise patience and “give us a chance.” He urged them to not let “politics fray you away, we are going to deliver to you but we are coming from a broken system, a broken economy, things will get better and as things get better, we will do more for you and will make your lives much more comfortable.”

The President announced that expenditure has been redirected in the capital programme outside of the regional budget with $2.9 B to be expended in Region Six. The monies he said will be utilized and spent on community infrastructure, markets, agriculture development, schools, health centres, bridges, roads, playgrounds and “not on dietary and entertainment in government”. He committed to the residents that some of their pleas were heard and as such, money will be spent to rehabilitate the Line Path Community Centre Ground. He said they received a request from residents that the Line Path Community Centre Ground needed to be “chipped, ploughed and prepared and some work done on the fence and so we are air marking those resources to help you complete that project on this ground also”. A donation of sports gear was also made to the cricket clubs in that area by the President.
Meanwhile, over at Port Mourant, a total of $9.5M will be spent to rehabilitate the Port Mourant Community Centre Ground with $3M to be spent on the first phase.

Over at Angoy’s Avenue, one of the more depressed areas in Region 6, the major issues raised there was the need for better streets and roads in their community and the need for an enhanced Community Centre ground since the current one in existence is not in a state where it could be utilized. At that meeting, the Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill had joined the President and regional officials and as the issues were raised about the streets, the President committed to having the streets assessed for works to be completed. He also committed to $1.2M for the rehabilitation of the Community Centre Ground in Angoy’s Avenue and along with a sanitary block, which was requested by a resident.

He said at the meetings that, “we want a government that is more accountable, a government that is more transparent and a government that does not disappoint you the people”. He told the residents of Angoy’s Avenue that, “you will have a better life, you will have your own homes, you will have better salaries, you will have better benefits, you will have better communities and the livelihood will improve. We are ready to work with every single stakeholder.”

Meanwhile at one of the meetings, President Ali mentioned that the report on the findings of the current state of the New Amsterdam Hospital was handed over to him on Friday and what he found out was “sickening”. He said that his government will now have to analyze the problems unearthed, derive at solutions and then find the resources to fix the problems at the hospital.

The President was also accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha. Sports gear was also donated to the clubs at Port Mourant and Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

 

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