Dear Editor,
I have perused the National Budget with my primary focus being what it contains for indigenous communities.
This year a part of the LCDS funds are ear-marked to support the Amerindian lands demarcation process and support the Amerindian Development Fund to finance indigenous community projects.
How can we plan for Norwegian funds that are not even available to Guyana as yet? Are we going to pass another supplemental budget before mid-year? For 5 years our people were promised the following by the PPP, as stated in their 2006 manifesto:
* complete the titling of lands for all communities and for all extensions;
* promote sustainable living and food security and reduce poverty for Amerindian people by intensifying income generation projects in Amerindian communities;
* fully implement the Amerindian Act by providing training to Amerindian leaders and officials and assisting communities to develop rules and regulations, thereby providing social, economic and political empowerment of the Amerindian people.
Five years have passed and none of these PPP manifesto promises have been delivered in full – not even half way. I can confirm that not all of the titling processes for Amerindian land have been completed.
To cite Dr Arif Bulkan, this process is a straightforward one, so what is preventing the Jagdeo administration from delivering on their promise to the indigenous people? They just lack the political will and manifest administrative laziness. So why should we believe anything they say in the budget in another election year?
A few token projects in our communities are not the kind of public policy that will promote sustainable living and food security for the first peoples of Guyana. The Minister is quick to call numbers, but how many jobs did the money spent for Amerindian development create?
Was it a case of a coastlander doing some infrastructure work in a village at an inflated cost, leaving very little in terms of sustainable income generating projects in our communities?
One of the projects the government has listed in the budget for the benefit of Amerindians is a poultry pen and plant nursery at Liliendaal. The last time I checked Liliendaal is part of Georgetown and not in any designated Amerindian community. This is very disappointing. Why not poultry pens for all the untitled communities as compensation for not delivering over the last 5 years?
This government has an unenviable record for passing laws in Parliament. But getting it to implement these laws and put systems in place to enforce them is like pulling teeth. Almost 5 years after the Amerindian Act has been passed in parliament we are still to witness the full implementation of this law. Is this how they treat a people when they are desperate for their vote? With disdain and disinterest? Why has the indigenous peoples’ commission not become fully functional to date? Do we have to wait for the AFC government to get this done?
In conclusion, I do not believe that the PPP/C will deliver on their hastily put together promise of solar panels and computer banks for our people in the villages. We have seen enough.
The indigenous community is demanding improvement to our lives now, not another promise; we have waited too long. Our first people demand jobs now, not another promise; we have waited too long.
We demand all our land titles now, not another promise; we have waited too long. We demand health huts with a trained health care professional in all the villages now, not another promise; we have waited too long.
We are aware that the boats/engines, ATVs, and other handouts season has arrived when the PPP/C planes will touch down with the sardines, rice, boat engines and the cheap clothes to continue their charade, but the people are more informed and wiser now.
Yours faithfully,
Martin Cheong
