Government seeking to revive ‘village economies’

TIMES INT'L

President Donald Ramotar said he wants to see every village and “every nook and cranny having a vibrant economy”.

He made the comment during his Independence Day address. Pledging that his minority government will work towards achieving this, Ramotar said:” We will work towards breathing new life into our village economies, so as to increase economic activities, provide jobs within villages for residents, promote inter-village economic exchanges and encourage the growth of businesses, large and small, including cottage industries.”

He said it is his administration’s hope that in so doing villages will become vibrant hubs of development, by building on the successful experiences and best practices of other countries.

He believes that this revitalisation will help to reduce rural unemployment and poverty.

“We have to make our communities safer and equipped to contribute to enhanced quality of life for residents. Improved quality of life cannot just be measured in terms of material possessions, but must also address the need for recreation and the development of the artistic talents of everyone. Special attention will, therefore, be paid to improving the physical well-being of communities and to develop the skills and talents of residents.

Through our e-learning programme, we eventually hope to develop a national database that would catalogue the various resources and skills available within all communities so as to allow for greater utilisation of these skills,” he explained.

“As we revitalise our communities, we will be linking them through an improved road network system,” he added. The president said many persons have already seen the road works ongoing on the East Bank and East Coast public roads of Demerara, as government extends the four-lane highways.

“These extensions and the other transport infrastructure that we are putting in place have become necessary because of the increased number of vehicles on our roadways.” He said despite the increase in the number of vehicles and especially public transport vehicles, many workers still have to wait, sometimes hours, each afternoon for transportation to take them home.”

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