Above: the launch in Georgetown (Photo: CDB)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The Caribbean Development Bank has launched the seventh cycle of its Basic Needs Trust Fund in Guyana.
Guyana Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, the country’s representative on the CDB’s Board of Governors, was on hand for the launch in Georgetown.
The programme is the CDB’s flagship initiative for poverty reduction.
““On the one hand, the private sector has a huge demand for skilled workers, and on the other hand there are young people who you want to prepare for the world of work and matching those two is a responsibility that we take very seriously in government.” Singh said.
BNTF is one of several such programmes currently being implemented by the bank in Guyana, including in Technical and Vocational Training.
The launch “marks the beginning of yet another assault on the scourge of poverty as the CDB, the Government of Guyana and the humble people of this country join hands to push back against the economic and social conditions which have, for too long, deprived them of a decent standard of living,” said CDB President Dr Warren Smith.