Baramita gets $1M for toll booth to control entry of alcohol, illicit substances

A grant of $1 million was yesterday donated to the Baramita, Region One community, for the construction of a toll both to control the passage of alcohol and illicit substances and to monitor access by visitors into the community.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) yesterday reported that funds from the booth will go toward road maintenance and other village projects, as it will increase revenue to the village council, which will be managing the facility. Other benefits include bringing order to the mining community and curbing social ills that are affecting it through the control of the aforementioned substances, the Toshao Sharmine Rambajue had said.

The handover of the cheque was done at a community outreach at the Baramita Primary School, by Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and Special Assistant on Projects and Community Development to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Martin Cheong. It was received by Toshao Rambajue.

The project forms part of Baramita’s 2019 capital works under the Presidential Grant programme.

The DPI report said Minister Allicock commended the village for moving forward with the facility’s implementation and emphasised the importance of maintaining law and order.

“We have been assisting the village in establishing their Village Improvement Plan and their village rules… I am happy to see you moving in this direction, it will help to prevent some of the social issues in this community… we are here to support you in doing these things,” he stated.

DPI added that the village council also received a computer, printer and accessories for its school yesterday, as well as a guitar for the cultural group. “Minister Hastings-Williams noted that that initiative is part of the government’s mission to provide all the necessary tools the children need for their education,” the release said.

Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams (second, from left), hands over the computer to a teacher of the Baramita Primary School in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock (far left) and Special Assistant on Projects and Community Development to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Martin Cheong. (DPI photo)

Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams hands over the computer to a teacher of the Baramita Primary School in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Special Assistance on Projects and Community Development to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Martin Cheong.

Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams hands over the computer to a teacher of the Baramita Primary School in the presence of Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Special Assistance on Projects and Community Development to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Martin Cheong.