On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, His Excellency, President David Granger, commissioned Radio Essequibo 95.5 FM, the first radio station on the Essequibo Coast and the seventh community radio to be established in Guyana under the coalition government.
The Head of State noted that the occasion was in keeping with the Coalition Government’s commitment to ensuring that Guyanese countrywide received equal access to information.
“The government regards it as a constitutional duty to ensure citizens enjoy their freedom to communicate,” President Granger said.
He added that the coalition’s objective was to bring about equality and the concept of the Regional Radio Programme does just that.
Prime Minister, Hon. Moses Nagamootoo disclosed that the idea for regional radio stations was birthed after a conversation with the president, whose vision was to decentralise government services and ensure equal access across the country.
“It is an important development in our country that’s never been contemplated before,” the Prime Minister stated.
The project, which cost more than $12Million, will serve some 46,000 people. Communities like Adventure, Akawini Mission and Bethany to Machabo and Kabakaburi and the Pomeroon River, can now tune into Radio Essequibo 95.5FM. The frequency was turned on by Prime Minister Nagamootoo on November 30, 2019.
The other six community radio stations are Radio Lethem in Region 9 (May 2016), Radio Maburama in Region 1 (June 2016), Radio Mahdia in Region 8 (October 2017), Radio Bartica in Region 7 (November 2017), Radio Orealla in Region 6 (March 2018), and Radio Aishalton, also in Region 9 (January 2019).
