Some 3,000 persons from across East Berbice – Corentyne (Region Six) have signed their contractual agreements to commence employment under the government’s part-time jobs initiative.
Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo launched the highly anticipated programme on Thursday, in the presence of hundreds of applicants at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI).
The commitment was honoured by the Vice President following his visit to the ancient county back in April.
The successful applicants will be attached to government ministries and agencies within the region and will work for 10 days per month, earning about $40,000. The move will also see the government investing approximately $120 million into the region’s economy monthly.
Dr Jagdeo said the government has always been interested in the nation’s young people because they will be the ones determining the future of the country, citing that the government will do whatever it takes to ensure improvement in the livelihood of every citizen.
The employment drive caters for one person per household, with the long-term intention to hire as many persons as possible.
“This is not free money; you are working for the government now I hope that you deployed well so that you can make the maximum effort in the ten days that you work. The income too, although it is not too high, it will help to offset some of the cost-of-living rise,” the Vice President stressed.
He noted that with the overwhelming interest, the 50,000 job opportunities that were promised by the government in its manifesto would now be doubled.
