Over 20 Hinterland communities received transportation in 2017

DPI Guyana, Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Over twenty (20) Hinterland communities benefitted from transportation in the form of buses, All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), pickups, tractor-trailers, boats, and engines, in 2017.

The transportation was procured through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs 2017 Capital programme, to aid in emergencies; agricultural purposes; tourism drives; to transport seniors to uplift their pensions and transport students to school within the hinterland communities.

During her 2018 Budget presentation, Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe explained that during 2017, funds were released to procure four (4) buses to transport students to and from schools at Santa Rosa, Port Kaituma, Thomas Hills and Moblissa. These buses formed part of President David Granger’s 5 Bs (buses, bicycles, boats, breakfast, and books) Initiative.

A total of thirteen (13) villages in Regions One, Five, Seven, Eight and Ten received outboard engines, while 12 villages got grants to construct boats for the engines.  Two (2) villages also received ATV’s.

“…The Government is committed to providing such transportation relief to the Indigenous communities to provide assistance to our people, especially the elderly, children and also for emergency purposes,” Minister Garrido-Lowe emphasised.

The Minister announced that in 2018, the ministry will extend its transportation programme by procuring one (1) additional bus to serve the scholarship students at the Hinterland Dormitory at Liliendaal.

An additional six (6) villages will receive support with outboard engines, while ten (10) villages will receive grants to construct boats.  Four (4) ATVs will be bought in 2018 to serve communities in Regions Two, Eight and Nine.

 

By: Synieka Thorne

 

 

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