Government supported hinterland entrepreneurial programmes have reduced poverty in indigenous communities and the administration is poised to invest hundreds of millions in information technology hubs to further develop these initiatives, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock says.
“Mr Speaker, in teaching our indigenous peoples how to fish, the Ministry is keen on encouraging economic development of our villages so they can be truly independent and self-sufficient, opportunities they have been waiting for over many years. Poverty reduction strategy is pellucid here, I only wish to add that the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) remains relevant as a key driver in providing support through the implementation of Com-munity Development Plans (CDPs),” Allicock said during his contribution to the 2019 Budget debate in the National Assembly on Thursday.
Allicock, also a Vice-President, explained that the ADF targets poverty in the rural interior areas where most Amerindian communities are concentrated. He said that some $1 billion was injected into 154 communities and villages through the ADF, funding projects in agricultural production and processing, village infrastructure, tourism, manufacturing, village business enterprise, and transportation, among others.
