The Government of Guyana has set the stage for continued progress in Amerindian and Hinterland development, with a particular focus on land titling, the Amerindian Fund, and the resumption of key developmental initiatives that had been halted during the 2015-2020 period.
During his budget presentation on Friday, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh noted that one of the major milestones is the revival of the Amerindian Land Titling Programme.
The programme has successfully demarcated 15 villages, with 10 of them now having received their official land titles, benefiting over 16,000 individuals. In 2025, the government has allocated a sum of $650 million to continue this critical initiative.
The resumption of the Amerindian Community Support Officers (CSOs) programme has also proven to be a significant development and a further $1.5 billion is earmarked in the 2025 budget to extend its reach.
Dr. Singh also underscored the importance of investing in the educational advancement of Amerindian youth, with the Hinterland Scholarship Programme being a key area of focus. In 2024 alone, over $93 million was spent on this initiative, with an additional $127 million allocated for 2025, to benefit more than 800 students.
The government has also continued to demonstrate strong support for the National Toshaos Council (NTC), with the completion of the National Toshaos Secretariat building and an investment of $136.5 million in 2024. A further $150 million is budgeted for the NTC Annual Conference in 2025.
Additionally, significant strides have been made in the financial support of Amerindian communities. Through the Amerindian Development Fund and Presidential Grants, over $19.9 billion has been invested since August 2020, supporting various initiatives in eco-tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure development. In 2024, $4.6 billion was allocated to these efforts, with $5 billion earmarked in the 2025 budget.
Another key development is the transfer of proceeds from Guyana’s carbon credits under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. In 2023, 15% of carbon credit revenues were transferred to Amerindian villages to fund the implementation of Village Sustainability Plans (VSPs). In 2024, this figure increased to 26.5%, resulting in over $9.5 billion being transferred to date. Further transfers are expected in 2025, providing additional financial resources for the continued development of Amerindian communities.
Dr. Singh announced that the government has allocated $7.2 billion in the 2025 budget to further enhance the well-being of Guyana’s indigenous people, not including the carbon credit revenues.
The post BUDGET 2025: Gov’t pledges $7.2 billion to enhance welfare of Amerindian communities appeared first on News Room Guyana.
