Presidential grant initiative continues to transform Amerindian villages despite setbacks

A GINA feature- January 26, 2013

One of the major initiatives by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration has been the introduction of the presidential grant programme in 2007, by former President Bharrat Jagdeo which provides for Amerindian communities to receive specific sums to aid in their development.

A presidential grant is financial assistance given to the communities to establish income generating projects to advance their growth.  When it was launched, $150M was allocated towards meeting the social and economic needs of 140 communities. Today there are more communities on board and more money involved.

The vehicle that was handed over to Kariako village, Region One bought with presidential grant

This initiative has helped to improve village life through the creation of employment for villagers and food security, improved access and mobility through the purchase of vehicles.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai said that Government invested approximately $323M over the last two years in presidential grants alone. These grants funded projects such as the construction of village shops, passenger cargo and fishing boats, mini buses, tractors and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to improve life at the village level.

Malali village, Region Ten’s tractor made possible through presidential grants

The Minister said that about 57 villages are yet to collect their 2010 and 2011 grants. This is because the projects that they want to embark on, require an investment that is beyond the value of the grant and as such, they have decided to wait until the sum is accumulated. She explained that until then, the funds are deposited into accounts, until the villages are ready.

Success stories

Crash Water

Residents of Crash Water, Region Nine in particular, have seen tremendous positive impacts from this programme and have been able to successfully sustain the projects that they use their grant to invest in.

Craft centre built through Presidential grant at Crash Water, Region Nine

“When you look at those remote communities (referring to Crash Water)  investing $1M, $500,000 into the crab wood oil and the other $500,000 into a guest house and when you visit that community you can see both infrastructure standing, you are satisfied that the investment is making a positive impact in communities,” Minister Sukhai stated.

The Crash Water crab oil venture produces bottles of oil from the seed obtained in the forest.

Taushida

“I have just recently returned from Taushida, (Region 9), a village which is nestled around the mountain ranges. It was difficult to access in the past but it’s more accessible now, because they received a tractor and every year they have received their grant and they have each project lined up,” she stated.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai presents keys to a tractor to Taushida’s toshao that was bought with presidential grants

Taushida village now has a shop, a sewing shop, a guest house, students’ dormitory and a community centre.

Tuseneng

This village has utilised some of its grants to build a shop, and several other projects. The village shop has been in existence for about four years now and serving the community well because not everyone has the means to traverse to Lethem to buy goods.

“You should see their cattle project, they have taken some of their grants over the years to build a herd of cattle and now people are complaining of the culture of the cattle roaming,” Minister Sukhai said.

Dealing with problematic projects

In terms of projects that have failed to achieve the required results, the Ministry has had to make interventions; providing additional support to ensure that they are not stalled or abandoned and the villagers derive optimum benefits.

“We have also moved away from giving the main village the funds because we have had some instances whereby the main village was utilising the funds, only on projects for the center of the community; while satellite villages were being deprived,” Minister Sukhai said.

The Ministry has not been able to allocate funds for presidential grants for 2012 due to the allocation for this initiative being cut from the national budget by the combined parliamentary Opposition.

A village shop in Yurong Paru Village, Region 9

Minister Sukhai said that if this approach is again taken this year by the Opposition, then Amerindian communities will be denied of this much needed programme that seeks, not only to uplift their living standards, but to guarantee them more economic freedom.

This programme is only one of several that were severely affected by the $20B Opposition-imposed budget cuts.

In July 2011, former President Bharrat Jagdeo announced a 56% increase in Presidential grants for Amerindian villages, from $320M to $500M for the period 2010 and 2011.

From 2006 to 2009, Government expended more than $460M in presidential grants for the undertaking of economic projects.