$250 Million for agri-based co-ops   

DPI Guyana, Tuesday, November 26, 2018

The Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme under the remit of the Ministry of Social Protection, is to receive an increased sum of $250Million in Budget 2019.

This was announced by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan during the 2019 National Budget presentation on Monday. He urged the youths to take full advantage of this programme.

SLED seeks to provide financial support for entrepreneurial ventures, create income-generating opportunities, and promote improved practices in agriculture and livestock ventures, along with community development through the functioning of cooperatives It also encourages successful business practices and looks to enhance the skills of community members through participation in projects.

Some twenty (20) groups in nine of the ten administrative regions benefitted from the initiative executed by the Ministry of Social Protection Projects Department in 2017. The groups were registered under the Cooperatives Act 88:01. Two groups were established in Region One; four in Region Two; one in Region Three; three in Region Four; three in Region Five; one in Region Seven, one in Region Eight, three in Region Nine and two in Region 10. These groups had become fully operational by the end of 2017.

Among projects executed by the groups are poultry, pig, and sheep rearing, garment construction centres, multipurpose complex, block making establishments, shade house cultivation, bakeries and catering establishments.

The project received an allocation of $150M in the 2018 Budget.

Synieka Thorne

Image: Keno George