Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday spearheaded the distribution of the $150,000 one-off cash grant to Region Two fisherfolk at the Rice Producers’ Association (RPA) Bond, Anna Regina. The money was distributed among 706 fisherfolk
Jagdeo, who has been spearheading the distribution across the country over past weeks, said the grant is part of the government’s efforts to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living due to a number of external factors, including the Russia/Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have affected the global supply chain.
Fisherfolk were advised to take advantage of opportunities for self-improvement and assured of government’s continued commitment to supporting their entrepreneurial efforts, for which small grants and other assistance through the Small Business Bureau are available.
They were also advised to ‘think outside the box’ and consider other training programmes, since enormous job opportunities exist in the growing oil and gas sector.
“I just want to urge all of you, if you see a training programme, even if you haven’t finished school, we have now on the scholarship programme through GOAL [Guyana Online Academy of Learning], you can do a remedial programme and then go on to the technical programme and those who have the qualification can do tertiary level, university type training, even in your homes,” Jagdeo advised.
