Land, youth development and jobs a priority for new Amerindian Affairs Minister

DPI, Guyana, Friday, August 7, 2020

One of the major issues affecting Guyana’s first peoples is that of land ownership and newly appointed Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Hon. Pauline Sukhai said she intends to resume a more robust mechanism towards completing the Amerindian Land Titling project.

Minister Sukhai told media operatives on Wednesday that the PPP/C Administration in their previous tenure would have put together and committed funds to pursue the completion of the land project to resolve Amerindian land issues.

“We were expected to have all the land that was applied for by Indigenous people looked at, but there has been a setback and a pause on it more or less and I intend to resume with more robust attention towards completing that project,” the minister emphasised.

Further, she said an immediate course of action will be to ease the burden of hinterland communities, especially in those areas that were neglected over the past five years.

In the long term, Minister Sukhai said her government intends to expand on the housing project, youth development and jobs, and invest in private enterprises.

“I believe that empowerment is going to help in any national drive to bring on par those who are in a lesser economic position and therefore we are going to see how we going to continue to invest in the area of entrepreneurship.”

Minister Sukhai added that projects such as the Presidential Grant programme which was started under the PPP/C government will continue since it provides an income and a source of livelihood and promotes food security within hinterland villages.

Community Tourism will be another area of focus for the Government, she said, noting that this sector has great possibilities in the hinterland.  “So, there are many potential areas that we will have to continue to work in,” she added.

Additionally, as it relates to the issue of COVID-19 and its impact on hinterland communities, Minister Sukhai said His Excellency President Irfaan Ali has swiftly put together a plan of action which will comprehensively address the national COVID issues.

Just recently the minister would have sent face masks to the Pakaraimas. Region 8 has only 2 confirmed cases.

Minister Pauline Sukhai was sworn in as Minister of Amerindian Affairs by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Wednesday.