Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan celebrated the arrival of the New Year with residents of Region 8 (Potaro-Siparuni).
A release from his ministry yesterday said that Bulkan departed Georgetown on the morning of January 1, 2016 and on the first day he visited the communities of Monkey Mountain and Paramakatoi.
The release said that the Minister is expected to spend one week in the region during which he will visit several communities, accompanied by the Regional Executive Officer, Rafael Downes.
The following communities are on the Minister’s itinerary: Chiming Mouth, Kurukabari, Itabac, Kanapang, Lamana, Kato Waipa, Sand Hill, Kaibarupai, Kopinang and Chenapau, among others.
The release said that Bulkan noted in his remarks, as he travelled from village to village, that Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) have the principal role of pinpointing the needs of their respective regions. He promised central government’s full support to RDCs as they are allowed to carry out their constitutional mandate and reiterated government’s commitment to decentralization.
The release said that Bulkan also revealed that Village leaders are now being invited to attend meetings of the Regional Democratic Councils unlike what obtained in the past.
Shabakie Fernandes, the local representative of Caring For Others Inc (CFOI), was invited by Bulkan to accompany him, the release said. Her Atlanta-based charitable organisation donated clothing to be distributed during the trip, as part of a collaborative effort between the government and CFOI.
