Ali promises low-cost transportation to farmers, direct cash transfers for home ownership

Last Updated on Saturday, 9 August 2025, 15:25 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Friday promised farmers on the Essequibo River island of Wakenaam that they would receive financial and other types of government-sponsored support to transport their produce.

“We are going to invest in the river transport also so that we can have your produce transported to Parika and elsewhere at a cheaper cost by giving you direct transfers, direct incentives,” he said at an election campaign meeting held at Belle Plaine. The President told a large group of attendees in the traditional stronghold of his governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) that the incentives include removing the duty on ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), 150 horsepower (outboard) engines and double-cab open back vehicles.

A number of the attendees was transported by a Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) ferry.

He also told a public meeting on the agriculturally driven island of about 4,000 persons that should the PPPC retain political power at the September 1 general and regional elections, his administration would build a new international stelling at Parika, East Bank Essequibo. He said the plans include the reconstruction of the Wakenaam stelling with storage facilities for paddy, and cold storage to extend the life of their produce for value-added agro-processing. “These are things that we are going to invest in to make your lives strong and stable,” he said.

The President said a special fund would be established to lend farmers money at 4% interest instead of 8% to 15% from commercial banks.

Eyeing a second straight term, Dr Ali also said ordinary Wakenaam residents, including pensioners, elderly and children, would also benefit from lower transportation costs “by direct support to them.” “It’s not only the cash grant and the increased pension and more subsidies to farmers and help with fuel and fertiliser and the building out of the storage plan. Those things will come and they will come stronger and better with the People’s Progressive Party Civic,” he said.

He restated that his government would provide money to ordinary Guyanese to help them to build their own homes, something he had been telling a series of public meetings and rallies in the run-up to next month’s general and regional elections. “You can rehabilitate your homes. You can extend your homes. We want to support quality home-ownership by directly supporting families in improving their homes,” he said.

Wakenaam farmers were also promised technology, financing and extension services to develop at least one out of every 10 acres of land as part of a crop-diversification plan “so that you can earn more from your land.”

The President also pledged that the next PPPC government would take over household expenses for health, water and education to reduce cost of living and “put more money in your pocket and in your savings account.”