President Dr Irfaan Ali told a large crowd from Mabaruma and its surrounding environs in Region One (Barima-Waini) that his Government’s development strategy is aimed at delivering equitable access to services and opportunities to all its citizens, especially those in the hinterland and riverine areas.
To this extent, the President announced that all residents who have the entry requirements to become healthcare workers will be granted the opportunity to train and study through the Government.
The Government’s strategy, he explained, is to “bring prosperity to every single home, to ensure that every single Guyanese family can live a better life, can live a better quality life, can have better access to education, better access to health care, better access to everything that make your lives easier, happier and better”.
“This investment we are making is because we believe in you, we believe in Mabaruma, we believe that Region One can produce high-quality nurses, high-quality teachers, high-quality dentists, high-quality technicians, high-quality engineers, but you must get the opportunity, and we are delivering and will continue to deliver that opportunity to you, the people of Region One.”
President Ali underscored that healthcare is one of the Government’s pillars that is continuously being improved. This he said, is being done through access to medicines, medical supplies, equipment, human resources; the building and retrofitting of health centres and transportation to health centres, among other areas.
OTHER IMPORTANT PILLARS
President Ali also noted that water, energy, transportation, security, education and recreation facilities are some of the other pillars that his Government will focus on.
He pointed out that water is key to development, and if the country is to build a modern society in which people can live a healthy life, access to water is key.
“We cannot have our mothers; we cannot have our children spending two or three hours every day just to find water to take you through that day. This is a key part of the transformation. That is why in this region, we are currently pursuing a programme to deliver 17 new wells to Region One.”
The goal of the Government is for the region to have 100% access to potable water by the end of 2025.
The President also emphasised that access to reliable energy is equally important to improved livelihood and development. He said that the Government is investing heavily in renewable energy in the region, which includes more than $270m in a 400KVA solar farm. The region will also benefit from the Government’s 30,000 solar home units programme that will be supplied to hinterland and riverine homes.
“We have already invested a lot in transportation. We have invested in bringing better transportation for the children, for the elderly but it’s still not enough.”
He said that before the end of the first quarter of next year, the region will receive its brand new ferry and an investment of more than $2.3b to build two new wharves.
It was also announced that within the next four to six weeks, the security forces will receive three new ATVs and three pickups to improve the region’s security sector.
“We are working now on a full assessment, especially the large catchment areas, to see how we can work with the communities themselves in improving the sports and recreational facilities to support the holistic growth and development of our young people and children, to support the wellness of our elderly, giving them an area to which they can exercise, and which they could improve their lives through wellness.”
OUTREACH PROGRAMME
President Ali also noted that while the Government has embarked on a massive public assistance programme, officials are aware that the system has kinks that prevent persons from receiving public assistance.
To remedy this, a massive outreach programme led by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will be launched in the region to resolve all the issues and “stop the bureaucracy” and other hindrances.
The President and several of his Cabinet Ministers are currently on a two-day outreach to the region.
