ALBION, Berbice — President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Friday outlined an ambitious plan to overhaul health care, education, utilities and agriculture in Region Six during a news conference following an intense two-day outreach in the region, describing Berbice as a central pillar of Guyana’s future growth and pledging sustained, targeted investment to match rising community needs.
Dr. Ali said the outreach confirmed a major shift in public priorities, with residents now focused heavily on homeownership, land access, small-business development and improved service delivery. “People are aligning themselves with the national development agenda,” he said. “Their priorities reflect a country that is growing, advancing and looking ahead.”
Health care is set for one of its largest expansions in decades. Ali reiterated that the New Amsterdam Hospital will be completed as a Level Five facility — the highest rating in the system — supported by a $1.2 billion state-of-the-art nursing school and a new $500 million student dormitory. The region’s drug-distribution supply chain will be strengthened through a new distribution centre, designed to increase efficiency and reduce shortages. “Health care must be accessible, reliable and delivered with humanity,” Ali said. “People must feel that the system is working for them.”
All new hospitals will include a public-service reporting desk that allows patients to lodge complaints directly into a national monitoring platform. Ali said this will fundamentally change how service is measured. “If someone receives poor service, that report must influence promotions, gratuity and disciplinary action,” he said. “We are building a system where accountability cannot be avoided.”
The President expressed concern about the rising number of residents requiring dialysis and the high prevalence of diabetes. While dialysis capacity will be expanded across the region, he said the government is shifting focus toward prevention. “We cannot only treat the end result; we must prevent people from getting to that stage,” he said, announcing new grassroots health interventions.
Education reform will be anchored by the launch of the Guyana Digital School, which will give 24/7 access to online learning. Nearly 1,000 Region Six students have already enrolled, and the government is targeting 5,000 by launch. “Education must not be limited by geography,” Ali said. “Our children must have access to the same opportunities regardless of where they live.”
The Education Management Information System is being rolled out to track attendance, teacher performance and school operations in real time, with 40 percent of schools already using the system. This will significantly reduce the administrative burden on teachers and allow more time for classroom instruction. “We want teachers teaching, not struggling with paperwork,” Ali said.
A special team will be established to address rising student-transfer issues. The ministry will also introduce an anti-bullying app and a digital platform to track the distribution of textbooks, devices, furniture and grants, reducing wastage and improving transparency. Special-needs education will expand with seven new dedicated spaces and digitised content accessible from home. “A modern education system must be inclusive,” Ali said. “Every child — every single child — must have a fair chance.”
In a major shift for tertiary education access, Region Six students will soon be able to pursue engineering diplomas and degrees as well as pre-medical programmes without leaving the region. Ali said this change will significantly reduce costs for families and create new opportunities in high-demand fields. “Your children will study engineering and pre-medicine right here in Region Six,” he said. “No more travelling long distances for these opportunities.”
Public utilities are also set for major improvement. Guyana Water Inc. will build new treatment plants at New Amsterdam and Adventure, drill new wells in Port Mourant, Johanna and Yakasari, and install solar systems across key sites. Inline filters will be added at Glasgow to improve water quality. Ali said these upgrades will move Region Six to “100 percent treated water, with stronger pressure and more reliability.”
Guyana Power and Light will advance its modernisation plan with new solar farms at Hampshire and Prospect, 108 kilometres of 330 kV and 69 kV transmission lines, two new substations at Number 53 and Williamsburg, and connection of 850 previously unserved customers by 2026. While acknowledging public frustration with outages, Ali insisted progress is unfolding. “There have been enormous improvements,” he said. “We will continue strengthening the system until the results are felt in every home.”
The Ministry of Labour will expand industrial and skills training to meet rising private- and public-sector demand. Using the Skills Connect job bank, authorities will map skill gaps and channel workers accordingly. Ali noted that Region Six already has “one of the most modern technical training centres in the hemisphere” and said a state-of-the-art hospitality institute will soon follow.
The Ministry of Human Services will integrate thousands of trained childcare and eldercare workers into a national care-economy system, bringing services closer to families and creating new business opportunities. Dedicated centres for men’s empowerment, women’s empowerment, family counselling, mental health support and disability services will also be created. “The care economy is a major frontier for new jobs and new opportunity,” Ali said.
A special presidential commission will review all public-assistance cases to ensure that support reaches those most in need. “We are going case by case to ensure fairness, transparency and dignity,” Ali said. The Ministry of Human Services will also create service desks for persons with disabilities by partnering with GPL, GWI, eNetworks, GT&T and Digicel, enabling up to 30 persons with disabilities to provide customer-support services from a single central facility.
Agriculture — the backbone of Region Six — will see intensified expansion. The government plans to bring 15,000 new acres under rice cultivation and open access to an additional 75,000 acres through improved roads, dams, storage canals and farm-to-market routes. Higher-yielding varieties will be promoted, targeting 40 to 45 bags per acre. “Our farmers must produce more, earn more and benefit more,” Ali said.
Farmers will also be encouraged to dedicate at least one acre in every 10 to diversification, including livestock, crab-cage farming and high-value crops. Extension services will be strengthened through 24/7 digital support and precision agriculture tools. A new “Palm App” will allow farmers to contact extension officers directly, access information instantly and track requests through the national service platform. “Support must follow the farmer — not the other way around,” Ali said.
Ali reaffirmed government’s commitment to revitalising the sugar industry, describing it as “an important economic anchor” for Region Six. He said an Indian technical team is assessing the reopening of the Skeldon Estate, with a production target of 37,000 tonnes by 2030. The government aims for 100 percent field mechanisation by 2030 and will deploy drone technology to improve crop monitoring. A joint venture proposal for a sugar refinery is also under review. Ali issued a firm warning to management: “The ‘Panday syndrome’ of mismanagement and excuses will not be tolerated. If performance targets are not met, people will be replaced.”
The President emphasised that Region Six is poised for “a historic period of transformation,” powered by modern hospitals, digital education, reformed service delivery, new agricultural lands, expanding utilities and community-centred development. “Region Six is not just keeping pace — it is leading,” Ali said. “We will keep the gains, remove the challenges, and build a modern, inclusive future together.”