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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, October 12, 2019
$35M in lights for selected hinterland airstrips ––$690M in upgrades for airstrips for 2020
MANY airstrips throughout the hinterland are set to receive $35M in lights before the end of 2019, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said on Thursday when he addressed the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Conference. Immediately upon being briefed, the auditorium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) erupted with applause. “That is exciting news for me,” Toshao Milton Fredricks of Mainstay/ Mayaka told the Department of Public Information (DPI). The village leader explained that during a conference at Mainstay last year, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure assisted with lighting the airstrip to facilitate landing and departure at nights. “If we have permanent lights in place, it will certainly serve a very good purpose because we do have cases of emergencies in the village, and not only in the village but on the Essequibo Coast and if aircraft or heli-
copters need to come in and we have lights, it will be no problem. So, I really really feel excited about that news and I look forward to the implementation,” the Toshao added.
government [for] upgrading the airstrip. It is in good condition right now and now putting this system into place would be a great im-
Even though Akawini does not have an airstrip, the village’s Toshao welcomed the transformation that awaits some of the other
Milton Fredricks, Toshao of Mainstay/Mayaka
Representing the Annai District, Toshao Zacharias Norman wasted no time in stating his unequivocal approval of the ministry’s move. In an invited comment, Toshao Norman said, “first of all, I must thank the
Bimichi airstrip in Morocu subdistrict
provement for the airstrip… It would be a big improvement for the people of the North Rupununi.”
hinterland airstrips. Toshao David Wilson called on the village councils to secure the lights so that they can
No politics in the handing over of cash grants to toshaos –– APNU+AFC MP WHILE the opposition has found fault with the handing over of some $34M in Presidential and Capital Grants to Toshaos at the 13th annual National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Conference on Wednesday, Member of Parliament, Mervyn Williams, has assured that there is no ulterior political motive involved. The cheques, which were presented to 25 village leaders by Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Minister within the Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, will go towards green sustainable community projects. The Presidential Grants programme is aimed at creating self-sufficiency within the hinterland villages and communities and, over $200M will be invested into 215 villages and communities under the programme for 2019. Some of the villages that
serve their communities. The Toshao also shared the opinion that lights along the airstrips are critical to the advancement of Indigenous
did not receive their grants from the ministers in their home town received same on Wednesday. The opposition seeks now to paint the handing over of the grants at the conference as “politically motivated”. “It’s not a case where government deliberately stayed its hand in handing over those grants. Many villages have already received their grants and the grants that were handed out yesterday or the day before are grants that were not handed over earlier in the year, and it’s for the small component of the total package. Some of the villages are extremely remote and if you go in to those villages and you hand over those cheques to them they will still have to travel to the city to negotiate those cheques with the banks,” Williams explained. “So, we have capitalised on the presence of the leaders in the city to hand over the cheques so that they can
APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Mervyn Williams
use the banking systems at no expense to the village, so that when they get back home they have a 100 per cent of the grants available for the developmental project that they had in mind.” Over the past months, millions-of-dollars in grants have been handed over to villages to support community projects. The Moruca sub-District, Region received close
to $17M in grants for villages in Santa Rosa; Kopinang and Bamboo Creek in Potaro-Siparuni, Region Eight; and Wakapau, Kabakaburi, St. Monica and Mainstay/ Whyaka in the Pomeroon-Supenaam, Region Two received presidential grants totalling over $8M, while Patarinau, Region Nine, and its satellite, Baitoon and Katuur also received $3M. Questioned whether receiving these cheques in the third quarter of year would hinder the intended developmental projects in the regions, Williams disagreed. “No, it will not place any burden on the villages. In fact, some villages have been saving their grants from one year to the next to do projects that cannot be totally funded by one grant,” he said. Referencing in the North Rupununi, he said that the community has embarked on an eco-tourism venture which was made possible through saving three years’ worth in grants.
communities in the hinterland. In his address to the Toshaos, Minister Patterson disclosed that the Guyana
Energy Agency (GEA) for which he has oversight will, “procure solar lights with chargers so that we can install on selected airstrips so that medivacs in the evening can be done.” According to the minister, the items will be in the care of the village council to reduce the likelihood of tampering and theft. Several hinterland communities are also on the list for airstrip upgrades under the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s budget for 2020. These will be conducted at a cost of $690M. Karukubaru, Orinduik, Kaieteur, Fairview, Karisparu, Paruima and Achiwib will receive major rehabilitative works. Since 2015, the Coalition Government has invested a staggering $1.4Billion in upgrades for 16 airstrips. It is the Granger-led Administration’s mission to reduce the disparities that may exist between the coast and the hinterland by the execution of these critical projects. (DPI)
Porter ordered to complete community service TERRENCE Thomas of kitty was, on Friday October 11, 2019, ordered to complete six months of community service, by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. The 24-year-old porter appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court and accepted the charge when it was read to him. Particulars of the charge stated that, on October 8, 2019, on Vlissingen Road, in the vicinity of Survival Supermarket, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged six windows, valued at $181,000, of a motor vehicle owned by Quincy McEwan. McEwan pleaded with the Magistrate not to send Thomas to jail but allow him to do community service and work and pay for the damages. Police prosecutor Christopher Morris told the court that Thomas and McEwan were known
to each other, since they were engaged in a relationship for over two years. Morris also told the court that, on the day in question, McEwan and Thomas were on Vlissingen Road, in the vicinity of Survival Supermarket, where they were involved in a heated argument and, as a result, Thomas took away McEwan’s bag containing $70,000. Thomas damaged the windows of McEwan’s vehicle using a brick. The matter was reported and Thomas was arrested and charged. Magistrate Daly ordered Thomas to complete six months of community service at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and ordered him to pay McEwan compensation for the damages. The Magistrate gave Thomas up to December 27, 2019, to complete payment.