Plan of Action for Development in Reg. 8
― Toshaos, administrators meet to craft strategy
DPI, Guyana, Friday, March 15, 2019
Toahaos and administrators from across 17 villages in the Potaro-Siparuni (Region 8), gathered in the Kato Village on Thursday, to participate in a Regional Development Conference to discuss the crafting of the Plan of Action for Regional Development (PARD).
PARD forms part of the Coalition Government’s efforts to make each of the 10 administrative regions a generator of development using its human, material and natural resources. It is a well-articulated document that outlines the strategic direction and process for developing the economic, infrastructural, social and environmental future of the region with specific goals and timelines. It considers the natural resources including gold, fertile land for agriculture, ecotourism potential as well as human resources.
Thus far, the Ministry of Communities has supported the crafting of PARDs for Region 9 and 10.
In his feature address at the opening of the event at the Kato Community Centre, Minister Bulkan spoke extensively of the potential of the region, noting that it has contributed billions of dollars to the country’s national treasury and has been a source of sustenance for many.
“Despite these tremendous endowments, the region owing to years of neglect, its mountainous terrain along with its sparse and scattered population presents tremendous challenges to the effective delivery of services… These challenges are not unique to this region but is similar to those experienced by the three other hinterland regions. The undeniable fact is that the regions up until 2015 did not receive the attention and support needed to confront these challenges.”
Minister Bulkan noted that it is against this backdrop that the Coalition Government, in 2015, recognised the need for a fresh approach to how the regions and country are governed. The government then embarked upon empowering the people and leaders to have a greater say in the management of their communities, whilst ensuring that all of the people in the regions benefit equitably from the resources of the state.
“Toshaos, Councillors, Administrators, your sons and daughters are entitled to a good quality education just as the child in Georgetown. The hospital in your region must have well-trained doctors and be stocked with necessary drugs and medication like those in any other region. This is what the president said, is the vision of this administration and what we are working towards,” Minister Bulkan stated.
In terms of hinterland development achievements, the Communities Minister said in less than three years the government established towns in all four hinterland regions; Mabaruma, Bartica, Mahdia and Lethem. He underscored that this very significant as it will ultimately ease the burden of residents having to travel to Georgetown to access critical services.
In 2018 alone, $2Billion was allocated for the rehabilitation of hinterland roads. Minister Bulkan assured that the road network in the North Pakaraima will soon be upgraded.
![Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes addressing the Region 8 village leaders and administrators. [Seated from left] Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, and Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence](https://i0.wp.com/dpi.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Pic-1-1.jpeg?w=750&h=500&ssl=1 "Pic 1")
Additionally, the government has established projects geared at fostering economic independence in the hinterland. These include the Pakaraima Sun-Dried Tomato Project, the coffee project in Santa Rosa, the Cassava Processing Factory in Kwebanna, and the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS), among others.
Noting that the event is a historic one for the region, Minister Bulkan reiterated that the government believes that the region must be allowed to function independently with the citizen’s views and opinions forming the basis for any programme or intervention. He told the village leaders that the government takes their development seriously, and with the revenues that will come from the emerging oil and gas sector, the projects and programmes out of the PARD will form the foundation for priority funding.
Day one of the event saw the Toshaos presenting programmes and projects they would like to see implemented in the Potaro-Siparuni Region over the next 10 to 20 years; while on the second day ministers and agency heads updated the village leaders on projects to be executed in the region, especially in the areas of health, education and telecommunications.
Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, and Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry were among senior government officials who participated in the two-day activity.
The Regional Development Conference represents the continuation of a process that is aimed at equipping regional leaders and administrators with a comprehensive document that will propel and guide the region’s development and transformation.
Synieka Thorne
Images: Tejpaul Bridgemohan and Anil Seelall