MINISTER of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, last Friday at a press conference highlighted the views of the Amerindian population who prompted her to publicly declare their disapproval towards the devastating $1.1B cut to the 2014 budgetary allocations towards the Amerindian Development Fund.
The Amerindian Development Fund is divided into two sections with one under the purview of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, which furnishes the financing of Community Support Officers, cultural projects Presidential Grants, eco-tourism, etc. The other section of the Amerindian Development Fund, however, falls under the Ministry of Finance which is responsible for channeling funds under the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Ms Pauline Sukhai
Sukhai told the media that the Ministry’s undertaking of holding meetings in nine Amerindian communities to discuss what Budget 2014 holds for the Amerindian population revealed disappointment from over 6,000 persons. “It’s a hard hit and the indigenous people are in full condemnation of the cuts. The comments from the meetings are very telling,” Sukhai noted.
She said that the Amerindians saw the actions by the Opposition, to cut the budget, as unnecessary and explained that it will stifle development in Amerindian Villages.
Leader of the opposition, David Granger, last month explained that the budget was voted against in order to make sure that the Youth Apprenticeship and Entrepreneurial Programme (YAEP) is put on a proper footing. He said further that after careful examination of the 2014 Budget, he concluded that it has the potential to dangerously divide the country into two nations, one poor and one rich.
Similar sentiments were echoed by A Partnership for National Unity member and shadow Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan, who said that it was voted down because APNU was reliably informed that the money was being used to pollute and politicize the Amerindian communities.
BASELESS ASSUMPTIONS
However, Sukhai refuted the “baseless” speculative assumptions which were laid out by the Opposition and stressed the importance for development in these areas.
The Community Development Projects (CDP) which are Amerindian projects being executed by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs have seen completion of 27 of the 187 projects. The remaining 160 projects were expected to be disbursed under the 2014 Budget but as a result of the cuts by the Opposition, Sukhai revealed that all developmental activities which were to be pursued by the Ministry have now been halted as there is a lack of funding for their execution.
The Minister also released statements to the media from Amerindian leaders and community members who blatantly denounced the actions of the opposition, positing that their actions were merely politically schemed to treat the Amerindians as third class citizens.
Santa Rosa Village Touchau, Basil Cornelius, in a statement said: “We are in full condemnation of this budget cut, as leaders of this village we are disgusted at the way the politicians treat us. I think it is time that we ask the House of Parliament to recognize us as the first people; and treat us as equal. I am confused as to why the first choice was to disapprove something that we need and that is paltry compared to what the country receives.”
Sukhai concluded that: “I personally continue to be worried that the Opposition continues to talk in the media about the disapproval as if the Amerindians are an illiterate bunch of people.”
PPP/C Region 9 representative Bryan Allicock recently disclosed that roughly 2,000 Amerindian youths will be out of work due to the voting down of the $1.1 billion Amerindian Development Fund.
(By Ravin Singh)