Aimed at funding small-scale infrastructure projects such as road upgrades and community playgrounds, the government has established a Rapid Impact Project (RIP). Projects that fall under RIP must be classified as urgent and can only attract a cost of no more than $1M.
This disclosure was made recently by Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams during a recent community engagement at the Cove and John’s Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI).
In a Department of Public Information report, Minister Hastings-Williams, speaking of projects that fall under RIP explained, “These projects should have never been the focus of the central government; that is the mandate of the NDCs and the CDCs…but we have failed in that area, and as a government we started the RIP meaning, these are some low hanging fruits, little maintenance, fencing, repairs, and so on.”
She further disclosed that emphasis will be placed on things such as upgrading playgrounds in every community. This, she believes, will have a significant impact on the youths within the various villages who will have a safe space for recreational activities. She, therefore, urged the village leaders to submit proposals to benefit from the initiative.
The minister was accompanied by two of her colleagues, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock and Minister within that Ministry Valerie Garrido-Lowe.
Speaking to drainage and irrigation issues was Minister Allicock who made contact with Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder, who committed to sending an engineer to assess the situation. Minister Allicock, in delivering remarks, urged those in attendance to put their political differences aside and work for the development of the community.
“We have to work towards changing the mindset of the people. We cannot continue to play this hate game; we have to bring back that respect for one another,” he asserted.
Even as she supported her colleagues, Minister Garrido-Lowe also promised to make representation for streetlights in Oil Mill Road.
Cove and John is a small community established in the 1960s. It has a population of over 500 residents.
