$9B proposed to further develop Amerindian villages

The first people of Guyana will continue to reap the benefits of strategic programmes geared at infrastructural, economic, and social development, as $9 billion is set aside in Budget 2024 to advance these projects.

A sum of $800 million is earmarked to advance land titling activities, another $100 million to support the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, and $3.4 billion for economic projects and the Presidential Grants (PG) Programme.

Additionally, $1.2 billion is allocated to support the Community Service Officers (CSOs) programme and to also provide skills training to over 2,600 CSOS in the ten administrative regions.

Moreover, an additional $2.7 billion will be injected into the villages’ economies through the carbon credit programme, to advance a series of projects in various villages.

This was revealed by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh during his presentation of the national fiscal plan to the National Assembly on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

“We remain unwavering in our commitment to our Amerindian brothers and sisters and to delivering development to every single community in this country irrespective of how far that community may be,” Dr Singh reiterated to the National Assembly.

In 2023, a total of $8.9 billion was budgeted and expended for countless development projects undertaken in the hinterland, remote, riverine, and Amerindian communities across Guyana.

Accordingly, a sum of $4.7 billion in carbon credit funds was disbursed to the villages, leading to the implementation of 500 projects.