Speaking at a rally on Sunday in Bath, West Coast Berbice, President Ali said his government is firm on moving sugar workers away from reliance on a single source of income. The government will do this by creating opportunities for diversification.
To achieve this, the president promised investments in technology and mechanisation to ease the physical demands of their work while rolling out special incentives to help them launch supplementary ventures.
“We want you to work with greater ease, but more importantly, we want to develop a strategy of income expansion for sugar workers…We will invest with them, for them to expand their income base and income source,” President Ali said. “And we are going to give them special incentives.”
For fisherfolk, the head of state announced plans to provide critical support, including assistance to replace boat engines, expand fishing zones, and adopt modern technology.
He also pledged to integrate them into the government’s aquaculture programme, which aims to create a stable and sustainable income platform for the sector. President Ali tied these measures to his administration’s wider poverty reduction strategy, which focuses on empowering citizens through ownership.
“Poverty reduction is not only about reducing the cost of things,” he said, “It is about investing in you, so you can own things; your businesses, your homes, properties that are increasing in value and have access to the best infrastructure, water, education, and healthcare.”
The president noted that his government’s development approach does not provide temporary relief. Instead, the PPP/C focuses on transforming livelihoods, strengthening communities, and ensuring future generations can live with dignity. (Department o Public Information)
