In keeping with the government’s commitment to improve the lives of the nation’s indigenous population, several measures have been proposed in Budget 2022.
According to Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, during yesterday’s (Wednesday 26 2022) Budget presentation, a sum of $411.2 million has been allocated to these communities.
Dr Singh noted that, “in 2022, a further sum of $411.2 million will result in 71 additional communities benefitting similarly bringing the total number of communities to 183 since this Government took office.”
One of the government’s main initiatives for these communities is the tractor distribution exercise which started last year under the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai who spearheaded the initiative which aims to improve the lives of hinterland residents.
Dr Singh hopes that with this year’s massive cash injections, many of the projects aimed at enhancing and developing agriculture, tourism whilst further women and youth based projects, will continue.
In 2021, some 112 tractors and trailers, along with implements were distributed to Amerindian communities. Minister Sukhai personally travelled across the country, riding towering mountains, through the rainforest and swamps in order to deliver the tractors to villages.
This initiative was also deemed necessary since many villages suffered major agriculture losses, due to the unprecedented flooding in May-July last year in 2021. It was hoped that the initiative would help to promote agriculture and food stability.
And finally, in order to improve connectivity within hinterland communities, a sum of $3.4 billion has been budgeted for the hinterland roads programme.
