Rockstone residents anticipate more development under Coalition Govt
─ commends govt for community’s advancement
─ “You are sitting on a gold mine,” Min. Allicock urges residents to capitalise on ‘Rockstone Fish Festival’
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, November 9, 2019
Over the past four years, the community of Rockstone, in the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region, has benefitted from several projects that have propelled the community’s development.
Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Hon. Sydney Allicock visited the area on Friday for a community meeting, as several government ministers fanned out to various locations.
At his meeting, residents acknowledged the unprecedented development in their community and commended the administration for its efforts to providing the good life as promised.
Donald Williams said that before the Coalition Government took office, development in the Rockstone was being hampered. “We never had an ambulance; we have one now. We have a newly-built guesthouse and an all-purpose building that will be used for meetings and other functions, so that is massive development,” he stated.
Donald is confident that come next year, with oil and gas set for production, the community is set to benefit from even more development.
Echoing similar sentiments was Dino Williams, a young councillor in the community. “For the past four years, we have seen great progress by this government through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, and it has been helping this community. Economic development has grown more than what we have seen before,” Dino relayed.
During the meeting, residents brought to the fore that there’s division among themselves when it comes to certain issues in the community. However, Minister Allicock urged them to put aside their differences and work together to continue to push development in the community.
The minister boasted that Guyana is on the verge of becoming one of the richest countries in the world once oil production begins.
“This issue here in Rockstone will be resolved when we become adults and become powerful in reasoning with one another to get the best out of a situation,” the minister told the residents.
He alluded to the ‘Rockstone Fish Festival’ that has become a staple event for several years and urged that residents collaborate so that they can capitalise and reap the economic benefits, as the festival has potential to be even more massive.
“What we need to do is prepare ourselves here with unity for building the community… you are sitting on a gold mine,” Minister Allicock advised, referring to the ‘Rockstone Fish Festival’.
The minister’s meeting on Friday forms part of the government’s effort to meet the people in their communities, to hear their challenges in an effort to better address the needs of the populace.