President unveils $3B support for Amerindians

Jul 15, 2022 News

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By Zena Henry

Kaieteur News – As the National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference settled into its fourth day of interactions between Indigenous leaders and state officials, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday announced a $3B financial support for the nation’s first people.

Ali made the unexpected announcement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre telling Amerindian leaders that their development “remains a priority for the government.”  “Next week Thursday, we will proceed to the National Assembly to pass a supplementary provision to have $3 billion dedicated to Amerindian development, and the development of your community.” The President highlighted that $250 million out of that sum will go specifically, toward youth empowerment projects and that Cabinet members will be heading to Amerindian villages in the coming weeks to help “crystalise” plans for the utilization of the funds. Just a day earlier, President Ali established a monitoring and evaluating unit that would be responsible for the execution of hinterland projects. The Head of State related too that eligible hinterland residents can be trained as health workers, nurses, teachers and teaching assistants.  He said a “common comprehensive programme” will be developed to provide the training and that “they will come on government employment system to support the delivery of efficient, reliable service” in every community.

President Ali was adamant yesterday that the government has done much for the development of Amerindians and the “truth” must be told in that regard. He was responding to various criticisms alleging among other things, that the administration was shunning some Toshaos; that they were dismissing the previous government as if they made no advancement for Amerindians during their time in office and that the politicians were not to be trusted.

“What was done?” the President questioned. “The truth is who took away… the jobs, the 2000 CSO jobs, who removed the education grant, the uniform grant. Isn’t this the truth, this is nothing in hiding. We encourage you to be critical of us. We bring our cabinet here before you and you can speak frankly with them, but that does not mean you must not speak to truth.” Ali said speaking the truth about who has done what helps with knowing what advancements have been made and what else must be done.

In concretizing the President’s statement Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo charged that almost all Amerindian developmental projects were initiated by the PPP. Speaking on the comment that the politicians cannot be trusted, Jagdeo said that Toshaos are also politicians as they have to be elected at the local level, but the catch is determining if the politician is one who does nothing or one interested in the development of the people. “We believe in the PPP; we stand on that side and if we don’t talk about what we are doing, – you do know what they say about self praise-, (but) if we don’t talk about it and point out the difference, which you do to in your communities when you campaign-, you point out the difference, you say I can do a better job than the other side and here is the evidence of me doing a better job.”

Jagdeo agreed with a comment that the politicians are the keepers of the People’s resources. He said that the resources have always been available, but urged that Amerindian leaders to look at the 28 years of People National Congress in power and the recent five years in government and compare it to the PPP’s time in office. “Ask what development took place in Guyana or at the village level in those years… ask what happened in that period and then look at the period that the PPP has been in office,” Jagdeo urged. “We have to account for our period and I can say to you that almost every single initiative to develop Amerindian communities started under the PPP.”

Apart from the supplemented three billion dollars, the VP reminded that another $1.2B was allocated for hinterland and revering communities as cost of living assistance for every household numbering some 48,000. Distribution of this sum he said has already started and it takes the total sum to the hinterland region to $4.2 billion. The VP said the government was flagged for allocating the money for only hinterland and revering areas and thus advised the Amerindians, “When we leave here, next week you watch the debate in the parliament and you will see who champions the rights of Indigenous people and who will have negatives. You will see for yourself,” the former President stated.

One area Jagdeo indicated the government was proud of is the advances in land titles for Indigenous communities. He said the first people in Guyana make up about 12 percent of population and when the PPP took office, those lands were not titled, “today its 14 percent of Guyana.” As the government works on additional areas, “we believe it will be nearly 20 percent of Guyana, nearly double the size of the Amerindian communities, the land holding as a percent of Guyana.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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