Indigenous people shortchanged under PPP Government - Minister Lowe
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, August 17, 2015, Source
On the first day of the 2015 budget debate, Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs Valarie Garrido Lowe said that having ended 23 years of one party domination, the nation has a fresh approach to life, as true personal development can now come to Indigenous peoples.
Minister Garrido-Lowe indicated that the 2015 budget, under the Granger led administration, gives hope to the hinterland population which has suffered under the previous administration.
Outlining some of the benefits that Budget 2015 has for Indigenous peoples, Garriddo-Lowe said that plans are in place to construct all weather roads in Regions Seven and Nine, along with the upgrading of internal roads in the new proposed towns of Mabaruma, Bartica, Mahdia and Lethem. "This is proof that we will not forsake the Indigenous People. A significant portion of the 43,927 beneficiaries are Indigenous Peoples. Under the previous administration, only 742 benefitted from water and electricity. Under this administration, sums have been allocated to deliver water of good quality to each Indigenous home," the minister said.
She added that Budget 2015 will also see the realisation of personal wealth for Indigenous families, as most of those families comprise small scale miners who will benefit from the tax waiver to small miners. "Not just our elderly will benefit but, our men who do small scale mining will benefit from waivers. In terms of agriculture, our government will place greater emphasis on investments in Region Nine which will benefit the population,” she said.
Minister Lowe emphasised that the time is ripe for personal development of Indigenous People. The 2015 budget has an allocation of $130M to ensure water supply systems in the hinterland are upgrade.
Additionally, Indigenous women are to be trained as business entrepreneurs which will see them being more competitive. “When trained, Indigenous women can take advantage of economic opportunities that exist from jewelery making and designing, and much more,” the minister said.
"The Fresh approach, the vision and the one Guyana concept is the vehicle that will take the hinterland and our Indigenous people further. This will bring hope to a people who never really benefitted in a sustainable way because they were thought to be living too far away", the minister said as she lent her support to the 2015 budget.
