| President leads gov’t team on visit to Leguan …urges islanders to look at bigger picture |  |  |  |
| Written by GINA |
| Sunday, 26 August 2012 21:44 |
LEGUAN residents got an opportunity to raise their concerns with President Donald Ramotar when he led a team of government ministers on a visit by sea to the Essequibo island yesterday, to share with them the government’s outlook for Guyana. President Donald Ramotar speaking to residents of Leguan during a visit to the island “When we are not able to build every single road, when we are not able to give you as yet, treated water… you must take into consideration the bigger picture of what we are trying to do, but we are not neglecting you either,” President Ramotar told the residents during a candid and meaningful meeting at the Leguan Secondary School. Under the stewardship of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Leguan has been transformed from a community that used bottle lamps to one where there is now electricity in every household, potable water, a health centre, sea defence, schools, and improved drainage facilities.  Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn speaking to residents of Leguan during a visit with President Donald Ramotar An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre installed with support from the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTC) is today providing ongoing computer training for the islanders, and there is now an effort to attain certificate recognition. Some residents spoke about the island’s sea defence which needs repairs and were apprised by Minister Benn about the challenges the country faces in all its 83,000 square miles. “What we need to consider is how large Guyana is and how, under these circumstances, people in all the communities who have not had services… they have to be attended to… Guyana is a very large country with a low population base and a great extent of the infrastructure has to be maintained,” Minister Benn said. Even as the minister assured the residents of a contract soon to be awarded for sea defence works in Leguan, he implored them to play their part in the protection of infrastructure vital to the community.  Minister of Housing and Water and acting Minister of Tourism Irfaan Ali speaking to residents of Leguan during a meeting at the Leguan Secondary School “The demand on the logistics for shipping in the Essequibo region has grown tremendously only in the space of three or four years, I would say,” according to Minister Benn. The residents, the majority of whom are farmers, boasted about Leguan’s effective drainage system because of efforts at clearing it. But there were complaints by farmers against the village council for delayed payment for the clearing exercise and this was brought to the president’s attention. Village council representatives however, showed lack of farmers’ compliance with regard to payment of rates and taxes. Rice cultivation on the island has expanded by 50 percent since 1995, when only 1500 acres of rice lands were under cultivation, to 3,000 today; and even as some farmers grumble about fluctuations in prices they were assured that the government will continue to promote a stable economic climate for rice farmers.  A section of the gathering at the Leguan Secondary School for a meeting with President Donald Ramotar The acting tourism minister made reference to the recent pact with Venezuela that secured a better and more sustainable price than that on the international market. It is also the government’s intention to have residents peruse the contract documents awarded to their communities as it seeks to ensure that the money is well spent. Some residents called for an extension in the commencement and cut off period for electricity on the island which also influences the discharge of potable water. Others spoke of the poor quality of internet service. The Guyana Government had been counting on the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) and the stringing of a submarine fibre optic cable from Brazil to address the internet issues, but this was halted by the cuts to the 2012 national budget which allocated funding for these projects. Minister Ali assured the residents that the project will move ahead as planned, regardless of the impediments, while President Ramotar spoke in detail about the advantages of cheap and clean energy. |