Service providers must invest more in hinterland regions – Pres. Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has called on telecommunication providers in Guyana to invest more in improving services being offered to hinterland communities across the country.

The Head of State made this remark on Tuesday evening during the Amerindian Heritage Cultural Extravaganza, which was held to usher in Indigenous Heritage Month 2026.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the existing services being provided, President Ali lamented that “it cannot be that right on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway… that they can’t put in the towers.”

To this end, the Guyanese leader encouraged local providers, including Digicel, One Communications and ENet, to make the necessary investments to better serve indigenous communities.

According to Ali, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for the country’s Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector, has already engaged the service providers on this.

“We are dissatisfied with Digicel and the GTT and all the other service providers. ENet and everyone. They have to make more investments in the hinterland… They have to bridge the communication divide. And I call upon them to make the investments… They must make the investments,” the President declared.

In fact, he pointed out that the Government is already doing its part to bridge that digital divide by investing some US$19.6 million in the ICT sector, directly benefitting more than 140,000 citizens in the hinterland.

These investments have seen 179 low-Earth-orbit satellite terminals providing high-speed internet connectivity in various hinterland communities, while another 253 villages are currently benefitting from high-speed connectivity extended to 253 villages.

Additionally, over 230 ICT hub managers have been trained, and more communities have benefited from this training to serve the almost 200 ICT hubs completed across the country. He added too that some 2850 hinterland residents have been certified in basic digital literacy, with women accounting for approximately 75 per cent of those trained.

This call for improved private investments in the ICT sector comes on the heels of the Head of State pushing for lowered domestic airfares to ease the burden of travel to hinterland regions as well as cushion the high cost of living for residents in those areas.

Despite making billions in investment to improve hinterland airstrips and other infrastructure, the Head of State had expressed his disappointment just last month over the continued high domestic airfares that are not only affecting travels but also impacting food prices in riverine and hinterland communities.

Nevertheless, during Tuesday evening’s heritage event, President Ali went on to point out that just like in the ICT sector, his Government has also heavily invested in other sectors to enhance the lives of the country’s indigenous peoples, injecting in excess of $41.7 billion in their communities. This is in addition to another $12.7 billion in the Amerindian Development Fund.

“Today, you have not only village shops, you have sawmills, ecotourism facilities, you have bus service, you have modern agriculture, and you have every single facet of national development existing in your villages,” Ali stated.

Moreover, the president highlighted that over the last five years Amerindian communities also benefitted from some $14.2 billion under the Low Carbon Development Fund.

With the Government’s investments in every sector, the Guyanese Leader posited that indigenous lives have improved in areas such as education, healthcare, tourism, energy, security, infrastructure, water and access to various Government and commercial services, among others.

In fact, he noted that the ICT investments have allowed Amerindians to enhance themselves and build capacity without having to leave their homes.

“You have doctors, medics, nurses, teachers, soldiers, Police Officers [and] fire officers right from your village, serving your regions and serving your communities… We have made those investments so that your children can become trained teachers right in their villages. And thousands of your children are now becoming trained teachers in your villages… We have invested in you so you can stand tall. You can stand proud. You can stand with dignity. You can stand with honour,” the Head of State declared.

Despite these investments, however, President Ali recognised that more work needs to be done to further enhance the lives of the country’s first peoples. Reflecting on the advancements over these past few years, the Guyanese Leader contended that the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is the only “trusted partner” that can deliver this kind of development.

“There is still a lot more to get done. There are still a lot more roads, a lot more schools, a lot more hospitals, a lot more investment in ecotourism, a lot more investment in the children, women, and families of the indigenous community… You know that we will make those investments for you,” he declared.