Govt awaiting NTC’s secretariat work plan

DPI, Guyana, Monday, January 22, 2018

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock has said his ministry is awaiting a work plan from the National Toshaos Council (NTC), in order to negotiate funding for the construction of the indigenous body’s secretariat.

During the 2016 National Toshaos Conference, the request for a Secretariat was made by Indigenous leaders to President David Granger, which was honoured the following year.

“I would have thought that the excitement would have been there, for the NTC to start to negotiate and engage the village councils, to say that ‘here we got this land we need to get to work, what can you contribute,” Minister Allicock told the Department of Public Information (DPI) in a recent interview. He added that the NTC should have already established a committee to spearhead the project.

The Minister, however, noted, that he had received a project proposal from the body, which he described as very impressive. Additionally, he said that the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has offered to donate wood materials for the project

Minister Allicock is optimistic that by the end of January, the NTC would have provided the document to the ministry thereby ensuring construction of the Secretariat this year. He urged the NTC to engage in additional proposals similar to this in order to access funds and propel communities to a level of independence.

The establishment of the NTC Secretariat will facilitate more representation and development of the Indigenous people from over 200 communities countrywide.

 

By: Synieka Thorne

 

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