Minister Sukhai visits Baramita – addresses governance issues - advises village officials to improve
Georgetown, GINA, October 6, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and team engaging Toshao Lewis Glasgow, village councillors, and other officials of Region One.
Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai whilst on a visit to Baramita, Region 1, n Thursday, met and engaged residents of the village at the Baramita Primary School where she noted that each Amerindian community must aspire to be able to take care of its own welfare.
Minister Sukhai was accompanied by a team comprising the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ Permanent Secretary, Collin Croal, Region One Chairman, Fermin Singh and Chairperson, National Toshao Council, Yvonne Pearson.
Look beyond mining
The Minister told the villagers that even with issues such as illiteracy and the language barrier that face Baramita, the village had a lot of potential for development and this can be realized through the collective efforts of the residents.
She advised the villagers and the council to look beyond mining, with the aim of developing Baramita. “Look at the other sectors that are there, the potential in those sectors and, start to work in those sectors,” she advised.
Village Council Building, Baramita, Region One
The accessibility to the region and the community presents opportunities for the community to establish linkages to other entrepreneurial initiatives; she said and used the opportunity to make known to the villagers, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) candidate for the 2011 election, Donald Ramotar.
Being from a small Amerindian village and of Amerindian descent, Ramotar is well aware of the difficulties faced in Amerindian communities, she told the villagers.
Education
Croal, urged the youths at the meeting, to seize the education opportunities being afforded them by the Government and implored teachers to edify the children on their history, so that they can fully realise and better understand the importance and significance of what is being offered to them.
Children of Baramita and all other Amerindian villages have the chance to study at schools in Georgetown once they acquire the requisite marks or to attend schools in their own regions. These secondary schools are equipped with dormitories to cater for children who live faraway, thereby presenting the avenue for them to secure an education.
The Regional Chairman also underscored the importance of education to their development and that the village is suffering because most of the individuals are not educated and urged the parents to send their children to school.
“These educated children will in the future fill the roles of responsibility in the community and help develop it.”
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, Toshao Lewis Glasgow and Chairperson, National Toshaos Council, Yvonne Pearson at the meeting with residents at the Baramita Primary School
The adults must not only rely on the education of the youth to bring development to the community, they must also seek to educate themselves, NTC Chair Pearson told the villagers.
Pearson urged the adults to work with the teachers in the community in formulating a schedule so that they receive basic education to enhance themselves and to aid the village’s development.
Governance
Prior to the village meeting, Minister Sukhai and her team had met and engaged the officials, responsible for administrating the affairs of the village including its Toshao, Lewis Glasgow, village councillors, the District Development Officer (DDO) and the Community Development Officer (CDO), at the council building in Baramita.
The meeting addressed reports that have been reaching the ministry such as failure of the councillors to hold regular interface with the villagers.
The council is expected to meet with the villagers at least every three months to enlighten them on issues pertinent to their development such as use of the village’s resources. This has not been happening with the regularity that the minister as well as the people of Baramita would have liked.
Residents at the meeting at the Baramita Primary School with Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai
Minister Sukhai told the councillors that she expects to see changes in this regards and that at the minimum, the council officials must facilitate meetings at least four times per year with the villagers.
The cooperation of the village councils with Toshao Glasgow was another area of concern.
Some of the councillors felt that the Toshao was not hands-on with dealing with the many concerns of the villagers and that tasks fell on their shoulders.
Minister Sukhai reminded the councillors that the role of the Toshao was to provide leadership to assist them to make decisions with regards to governing the village and, it was their duty to meet with the villagers and work with them with regards to any concerns that they might have.
The efficiency of the CDO and DDO was another area of concern. “You are paid to provide support to the village councillors and I’m not very happy with your role and involvement with assisting the village council,” Sukhai said, addressing the officials.
She noted that they must be able to provide the type of support directly that will enhance the council because if they do, then it will mean that they will have to provide less administrative intervention and the council will in turn grow to be able to manage its own business.
The councillors, along with the Toshao and DDO collectively decided to employ a consultant to provide advisor services to the council.
“He like the CDO and DDO must help the council to build capacity…so that they will learn to do the simple transactions that occur in the village,” Minister Sukhai said
Non - payment of royalties
Report had also reached the Amerindian Affairs ministry that miners were paying money to individuals in the council, but that money was failing to reach the council’s treasury.
The councillors disputed this and said that of the more than 20 mining operations in the village only four regularly paid royalties to the council and this money was used to effect services in the village.
Minister Sukhai told the councillors and the Toshao that once miners operate in the village, they must pay the royalties and advised that they meet with the miners to regularize the issue of payment. She also advised that they identify persons who would want to work as rangers to monitor the operations of the miners, and to collect the money. The Amerindian Affairs ministry will work with the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) in providing training for this aspect, she said.
“The village can no longer afford to be losing revenue due to the non payment of tribute. If payment is not regularized, forever Baramita will remain a poor village,” Sukhai said.
Minister Sukhai advised that in one month the councillors, Toshao, DDC and CDO must meet with all the miners, to facilitate this regularizing of tribute payments and said that the ministry also expects in two months, to see a difference, with regards to the officials’ collective governance and management of the village.
Georgetown, GINA, October 6, 2011
Source - GINA
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and team engaging Toshao Lewis Glasgow, village councillors, and other officials of Region One.
Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai whilst on a visit to Baramita, Region 1, n Thursday, met and engaged residents of the village at the Baramita Primary School where she noted that each Amerindian community must aspire to be able to take care of its own welfare.
Minister Sukhai was accompanied by a team comprising the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ Permanent Secretary, Collin Croal, Region One Chairman, Fermin Singh and Chairperson, National Toshao Council, Yvonne Pearson.
Look beyond mining
The Minister told the villagers that even with issues such as illiteracy and the language barrier that face Baramita, the village had a lot of potential for development and this can be realized through the collective efforts of the residents.
She advised the villagers and the council to look beyond mining, with the aim of developing Baramita. “Look at the other sectors that are there, the potential in those sectors and, start to work in those sectors,” she advised.
Village Council Building, Baramita, Region One
The accessibility to the region and the community presents opportunities for the community to establish linkages to other entrepreneurial initiatives; she said and used the opportunity to make known to the villagers, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) candidate for the 2011 election, Donald Ramotar.
Being from a small Amerindian village and of Amerindian descent, Ramotar is well aware of the difficulties faced in Amerindian communities, she told the villagers.
Education
Croal, urged the youths at the meeting, to seize the education opportunities being afforded them by the Government and implored teachers to edify the children on their history, so that they can fully realise and better understand the importance and significance of what is being offered to them.
Children of Baramita and all other Amerindian villages have the chance to study at schools in Georgetown once they acquire the requisite marks or to attend schools in their own regions. These secondary schools are equipped with dormitories to cater for children who live faraway, thereby presenting the avenue for them to secure an education.
The Regional Chairman also underscored the importance of education to their development and that the village is suffering because most of the individuals are not educated and urged the parents to send their children to school.
“These educated children will in the future fill the roles of responsibility in the community and help develop it.”
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, Toshao Lewis Glasgow and Chairperson, National Toshaos Council, Yvonne Pearson at the meeting with residents at the Baramita Primary School
The adults must not only rely on the education of the youth to bring development to the community, they must also seek to educate themselves, NTC Chair Pearson told the villagers.
Pearson urged the adults to work with the teachers in the community in formulating a schedule so that they receive basic education to enhance themselves and to aid the village’s development.
Governance
Prior to the village meeting, Minister Sukhai and her team had met and engaged the officials, responsible for administrating the affairs of the village including its Toshao, Lewis Glasgow, village councillors, the District Development Officer (DDO) and the Community Development Officer (CDO), at the council building in Baramita.
The meeting addressed reports that have been reaching the ministry such as failure of the councillors to hold regular interface with the villagers.
The council is expected to meet with the villagers at least every three months to enlighten them on issues pertinent to their development such as use of the village’s resources. This has not been happening with the regularity that the minister as well as the people of Baramita would have liked.
Residents at the meeting at the Baramita Primary School with Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai
Minister Sukhai told the councillors that she expects to see changes in this regards and that at the minimum, the council officials must facilitate meetings at least four times per year with the villagers.
The cooperation of the village councils with Toshao Glasgow was another area of concern.
Some of the councillors felt that the Toshao was not hands-on with dealing with the many concerns of the villagers and that tasks fell on their shoulders.
Minister Sukhai reminded the councillors that the role of the Toshao was to provide leadership to assist them to make decisions with regards to governing the village and, it was their duty to meet with the villagers and work with them with regards to any concerns that they might have.
The efficiency of the CDO and DDO was another area of concern. “You are paid to provide support to the village councillors and I’m not very happy with your role and involvement with assisting the village council,” Sukhai said, addressing the officials.
She noted that they must be able to provide the type of support directly that will enhance the council because if they do, then it will mean that they will have to provide less administrative intervention and the council will in turn grow to be able to manage its own business.
The councillors, along with the Toshao and DDO collectively decided to employ a consultant to provide advisor services to the council.
“He like the CDO and DDO must help the council to build capacity…so that they will learn to do the simple transactions that occur in the village,” Minister Sukhai said
Non - payment of royalties
Report had also reached the Amerindian Affairs ministry that miners were paying money to individuals in the council, but that money was failing to reach the council’s treasury.
The councillors disputed this and said that of the more than 20 mining operations in the village only four regularly paid royalties to the council and this money was used to effect services in the village.
Minister Sukhai told the councillors and the Toshao that once miners operate in the village, they must pay the royalties and advised that they meet with the miners to regularize the issue of payment. She also advised that they identify persons who would want to work as rangers to monitor the operations of the miners, and to collect the money. The Amerindian Affairs ministry will work with the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) in providing training for this aspect, she said.
“The village can no longer afford to be losing revenue due to the non payment of tribute. If payment is not regularized, forever Baramita will remain a poor village,” Sukhai said.
Minister Sukhai advised that in one month the councillors, Toshao, DDC and CDO must meet with all the miners, to facilitate this regularizing of tribute payments and said that the ministry also expects in two months, to see a difference, with regards to the officials’ collective governance and management of the village.