Close to 5,000 Amerindians employed as CSOs

Nearly 5,000 Amerindians are now employed as Community Service Officers (CSOs) under government programmes, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said on Friday.

Addressing a PPP/C rally in Bartica, Dr Jagdeo said one of the coalition’s first actions after taking office in 2015 was to scrap the CSO programme, cutting about 2,000 jobs.

“They said they would increase jobs… instead, their jobs disappeared,” he told supporters, accusing a former coalition minister of saying Amerindians were “too greedy” to receive multiple benefits.

Dr Jagdeo said the PPP/C reinstated the programme after returning to power in 2020, rehiring displaced workers. By 2021, more than 2,000 Amerindian youths were back in jobs with training in solar installation, tractor operation, ICT, garment construction and other skills.

The programme expanded to 2,500 CSOs in 2022, with more than 660 receiving specialised training. By late 2024, 2,759 Amerindians were employed as CSOs, earning monthly stipends increased from $30,000 to $40,000.

The Department of Public Information reported that since 2020, $13.1 billion has been invested in Amerindian development, funding infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education and cultural projects. Budget 2025 allocates $7.2 billion, including $5 billion for entrepreneurship and community development, $650 million for land titling, and $127 million for secondary education scholarships.

With elections set for Sept. 1, Dr Jagdeo urged voters to “choose a party you can trust.”