‘Ancient County’ to get modern municipality

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, MP and Mayor of New Amsterdam, Her Worship Winifred Heywood, along with students who were awarded for exceptional performance at the 2020 CSEC and CAPE

FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION MINISTER HUGH TODD
chose the 130 th anniversary of the town of New Amsterdam to disclose the government’s
intentions to plug petro-dollars into the East Berbice/Corentyne (Region Six) oldest, and the
country’s first, municipality to achieve modernity.
“That kind of advancement will naturally encourage innovation and innovation leads when it
comes to a country’s economy. So, the cash flow is now enough. We will be able to use the
windfall from oil and gas to diversify the economy of New Amsterdam which will allow you to
innovate,” Todd said at the recent anniversary celebrations.

“We are going to enjoy moving Guyana forward together. We are going to collaborate with you
right here at the leadership in New Amsterdam to shape policies at the national level to help us to
meet your needs here at the local government machinery, and to also incorporate you and ensure
that we achieve our national objective,” Minister Todd promised.
Todd said President Irfaan Ali has a deep passion for urbanisation, at New Amsterdam in the
‘Ancient Country’ is to feature prominently.
“New Amsterdam is part of that development drive. Opportunities that will be afforded to
Guyanese will reach each and every community,” he said.
Todd said the country’s social sector including healthcare and education will benefit enormously
from the “booming oil and gas sector” past of the future economic diversification in the
administration’s development blueprint.
“We want to ensure that our people are taken care of. We have big plans and you are part of it.
We want you to contribute! We want you too to hold us accountable, and together we are not
only going to transform New Amsterdam but we will transform Guyana as a whole.” Minister
Todd predicted.

Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, New Amsterdam Mayor, Her Worship Winifred
Heywood and Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship Pandit Ubraj Narine also made remarks at the
10 th anniversary.
Four students who performed exceptionally well at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education
Certificate (CSEC) tests and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations offered by the
Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) were awarded as part of the 130 th anniversary.
New Amsterdam was established in 1891, as Guyana’s first town.