Amerindian Affairs Ministry considering more village grant proposals
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2008
Government in its quest to further enhance the development of Amerindian communities continues to consider proposals for village grants from the 125 communities.
During the Toshaos’ Conference which was held on October 22 to 26 last at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that a sum of $150M would be allocated to all the communities. He said that each of the communities will receive a minimum of $1M while larger communities would receive more.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues said that the Ministry has so far received 40 proposals and is checking the feasibility of the projects before releasing the money.
She observed that in 2005, the communities were given the liberty to choose their projects and the Ministry allowed it but many of the proposals were not sustainable. “This time we want to be careful in choosing the projects so that the communities can benefit”, Minister Rodrigues said.
According to Project Director of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ronald Cumberbatch, the grant is to assist the communities to develop their capacity in managing projects as well as providing capital for feasible economic projects.
It was noted by some of the Toshaos and residents of various communities that more time was taken to draft their proposals because they wanted the money to be spent wisely for the benefit of the communities.
Some of the communities intend to use the money to assist in some of the income generating activities ongoing in the Regions.
Fairview in Region Nine used the last village grant to establish a shop and the money generated was used to purchase a mini-bus for the community. This is a good example for other communities to follow, Minister Rodrigues said.
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Agriculture Ministry to standardise fishing practices
- series of safety awareness seminar commence
Government, GINA, January 08, 2008
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications are collaborating with the fishing community to standardise fishing practices.
The first of a series of safety awareness seminars commenced today at the Carifesta Sports Club, Carifesta Avenue where senior officers from MARAD, the Fisheries Department from the Ministry of Agriculture and a large number of fisherfolk gathered. The seminars are being conducted in recognition of the direct link between the fishing industry and food security worldwide.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud said the fisheries sector is a great contributor to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and added that it is important for the practices used in the trade to be in compliance with international standards.
He added that non-compliance can impact negatively on the fisheries sector and estimated that for 2007, the sector contributed approximately 57 percent to the country’s GDP since Guyana has one of the highest consumption rate of fish and fish products.
The seminar is geared at enhancing the knowledge of fishermen in the operation of fishing vessels with focus on training relative to the certification process. It is hoped that on conclusion of these exercises, fishermen will be able to discharge their functions more effectively.
The Ministries of Agriculture and Public Works and Communications will be collaborating to implement better licensing procedures while measures are being put into place to ensure both oral and written certification tests are conducted.
The tests will ascertain prior to a fisherman being issued a licence, whether the integrity of his vessel and the competence of the captain are certified and acceptable. They will ensure that the licensing procedures are transparent and fair to all stakeholders.
According to Minister Persaud, while the fishing industry is facing several challenges, Government will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of the livelihood of fisherfolks as more than 10,000 persons are currently employed in the sector.
The first licensing exercise is expected to commence in February. This will give fishermen adequate time to become acquainted with the new regulations and requirements.
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Night Shelter assisting hundreds of street dwellers
-facility now seven years in existence
Georgetown, GINA, January 8, 2008
Reducing the poverty level and helping the vulnerable and homeless are among the objectives of Government and several units of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security are focusing on these initiatives.
One such unit that is effectively functioning under the purview of the Ministry is the Night Shelter for the homeless which is currently providing a safe haven for street dwellers.
The facility is located at Arapaima Street, East La Penitence and was established on January 8, 2001.
According to Director of the Night Shelter Tilku Harrydat, the shelter has been of service to hundreds of people. It has a capacity to accommodate 130 persons and serves 115 persons each night.
He noted that since the Shelter is operating on a 24-hour basis, those who live on the streets can access the facility all-day and are provided with food, clothing and shelter. Counselling and other services are also available to them.
Counselling has helped some persons to be reunited with their families while others have gained employment.
Another service offered is the bus service which involves transporting residents of the Shelter to their respective locations in the mornings and afternoons with many being handymen in the markets and other places.
The Shelter is funded by the Government and every fortnight it receives an allocation of $750,000 for meals. Annually, over $26M is released to the institution to manage its administration.
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