$5B to be invested in Region Two before year-end

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that more than $5 billion will be invested in Region Two before the end of the year, while emphasising that his Government stands committed to serving all Guyanese in keeping with its mandate. “Today, we have a very simple task, and that is to ensure we fulfill our mandate in public office, not impede service, [and] not increase the cost of service,” he said during his visit to the region on Wednesday. The main aim of the visit by the Head of State was to resolve many of the issues faced by residents, which he noted were “resolvable”. In this regard, he pointed to the importance of the exercise and the potential impact it will have on the lives of the beneficiaries. The President also announced that a Rapid Response Team will be set up to address the concerns of the residents in the swiftest possible manner. He assured that there will be more such exercises as the Government will be moving forward in a spirit of collaboration and connection to the people.

Alluding to a similar such exercise conducted in Region Six in November, President Ali said that, “After Region Six, residents are tremendously happy. Issues that were not resolved in years were resolved. What it tells us is that these issues are solvable. But sometimes the bureaucracy does not allow us to resolve them. That is why at these outreaches we want the head of every agency, so you can make an assessment as to what areas of improvement the agency requires.”The President is personally addressing the concerns raised, which include access to electricity, water, land allocation concerns and drainage issues, among other areas. Throughout the day, scores of residents were given the opportunity to raise their issues with the high-level team during the outreach exercise.

MAJOR INVESTMENTS
Following the start of the exercise, residents were updated on major investments in the pipeline which includes the construction of a water treatment plant, additional power generating capacity for the region, the implementation of a $50 million road programme, the commencement of a $70 million sea defence programme, the distribution of more than 4,500 cash grants and the rehabilitation of 50 miles of drainage and irrigation infrastructure. Agencies represented at the Presidential Outreach included the Office of the President, the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), National Insurance Scheme (NIS), National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Ministry of Health, the Guyana Police Force and the Region Two administration. The exercise was also aimed at reducing the bureaucracy and will see the collaboration among various agencies to address concerns at the community level. (Public Information and Press Services Unit)