People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member and former Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, Collin Croal said residents of Indigenous communities were hurting as the economic downturn was being felt across the country.
Croal was part of the two-man panel addressing the media at the PPP’s press conference on Monday. The former PS of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, now renamed the Indigenous Peoples’ Ministry, said the economic pressure being felt on the coastland was also being felt in the hinterland.
These challenges include the Value Added Tax (VAT) placed on air travel and the ban on used tyres. He said the VAT on air travel has caused an expected increase in fares and freight costs.
“What has happened is that in the absence of village economies’ turnover, persons in the hinterland are feeling it more so,” Croal contended.
According to Croal, his Party has been seeking the patience and cooperation of community members, noting that it is also working towards bringing a resolution. Added to the economic challenges, Croal highlighted the delay in payment to those attached to the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS), which replaced the Community Support Officers programme.
Croal said he has been receiving complaints from individuals involved in the programme about the continued delays in payment. He said the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry, which is solely responsible for the HEYS programme, has now shifted the responsibility of payment to the respective Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs).
