Seize opportunities to develop yourselves – Min. Sukhai tells youth

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, has made a valiant call for youth, especially Amerindians, to be part of the transformative development of Guyana.

Speaking at a Christmas social in Bartica which catered to children and parents from the lower Mazaruni, Minister Sukhai noted that their involvement is critical to ensuring a secured and prosperous future for the country.

In the presence of President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, the Amerindian Affairs minister affirmed that from August 2020 to 2024, Guyana has seen the most transformative development that the country has ever seen.

Minister Sukhai pointed to some of the initiatives being rolled out including the removal of tuition for continuing and prospective students at the University of Guyana.

This is in addition to creating the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme that has granted in excess of 29,700 scholarships. This surpasses the manifesto commitment to distribute 20,000 scholarships in five years.

The GOAL scholarship programme offers students to obtain vocational certificates, undergraduate diplomas, undergraduate degrees, postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees and doctoral degrees free of cost.

Minister Sukhai said, “in fact, in many sectors the manifesto commitments have been achieved and surpassed. Next year is the year that you will be able to see all the commitments achieved and the development taking place.”

The minister pointed out that public servants are continuing to receive yearly increases to their salaries with a 10 per cent in December that is retroactive to January 2024. There is also a guarantee of an 8 per cent pay hike for 2025. This will raise the cumulative salary increase for public servants to a whopping 43 per cent from 2021 to 2025.

The Amerindian Affairs Minister highlighted that not only has the coast benefitted from the widespread development. She pointed to the plethora of schools, hospitals and roads being developed in the hinterland and riverain areas, ensuring every citizen benefits equally from the social services of the state.

“If you see what is happening in the country, it is replicated in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine and all the riverain communities throughout Guyana.”

With the myriad of programmes that upgrade the technical and academic skills of Guyanese, Minister Sukhai is calling on the future leaders of the country to seize opportunities that fosters personal development, so that they can drive tomorrow’s development.