UK cuts Guyana funding
-in favour of 'low-income' countries
Stabroek News
March 31, 2004
The British government is reducing its funding to Guyana to devote 90% of aid funding to low-income countries.
Guyana is classified as a middle-income developing country. The reduction in funding is also a result of the British government's pledge for reconstruction and humanitarian aid in Iraq and its commitment to increase the proportion of bilateral aid going to the world's poorest countries by 2006.
Nicola Brewer, Director-General of Regional Programmes for the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) made the announcement yesterday at a press conference held at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel.
Brewer said that the UK's aid for Guyana will continue to be reduced, albeit slightly. "We decided that 90% of bilateral funds are for low income countries." According to the team, the overall reduction in the Caribbean region is "2 to 3M Pounds Sterling."
Brewer, who is scheduled to leave for Barbados today after a four-day visit, was accompanied at the press conference by Jonny Baxter, Head of DFID Guyana; Joanne Alston, Head of DFID Caribbean and Kathy Higgins, Senior Governance Adviser for DFID.
DFID's support to Guyana is approximately 5.5M Pounds Sterling annually in the areas of water, education and land reform.
Funding from DFID is supporting the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission in the area of land tenure registration and the issuing of leases. It is also helping in the area of secondary education and water.
Brewer said that she came to hear the issues and concerns that matter to the people of Guyana and the government.
On a visit to Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast on Monday, Brewer, accompanied by members of her team and a senior official of the Ministry of Finance, met with local government officials. They also went to Dartmouth, also on the Essequibo Coast, where they spoke with NDC councilmen and farmers and heard their concerns. They also went to the Mainstay and spoke with members of the Amerindian communities there.
Brewer said that she still hoped to meet with President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin.
Responding to questions on the British government's response to the death squad allegations, Brewer said that it was important for the Government of Guyana to deal with the situation "within the law". She said the appointment of the new Commissioner of Police was welcome.
On questions on whether there were any conditions attached to the disbursement of DFID funds, Brewer said that any programme always has discussions with the government about those conditions.