A LACK of gainful employment and recreation facilities for the young were two of the main issues voiced by Berbicians during a Presidential visit to the Corentyne on Sunday. During his interactions with residents of the villages of Manchester and Clifton Settlement/Tain, President Bharrat Jagdeo dealt with several complaints that jobs were hard to come by in the region. TAIN MEETING: the President at Clifton Settlement/Tain He said the primary problem with Berbice was that since the region’s largest employer was the agricultural industry, there was little opportunity for employment there outside of it. He said the same situation applied as well in Essequibo. Mr Jagdeo said the government was exploring ways of creating and facilitating employment for young people, adding that the establishment of call centres in the region was the area with the greatest potential for creating a large number of jobs. The major impediment to this, however, he said, was the current state of the telecommunications sector, adding that the government was looking at ways to remove the barriers in this area. TAIN MEETING: the President at Clifton Settlement/Tain. Another area that could see the creation of several thousand jobs centred on national drainage efforts, the President said. He also stated that since the region had an insufficient number of policemen to tackle the escalating crime situation, signing up with the Guyana Police Force was another way of finding employment. During his interaction with residents of Manchester Village, several young men – sugar workers formerly employed in the St. Kitts-Nevis sugar industry – also complained that they were yet to receive compensation due to them from the CARICOM nation’s government after it ceased sugar production a few months ago. The President promised them that he would personally intervene in the matter since he has a close working relationship with St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas. At Manchester, villagers told the President that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council had taken over a local President’s Youth Choice Initiative project and was restricting access to its use to only persons willing to rent the property for functions. BEACH FUN: a crowd of primarily young people on the Number 63 beach in Berbice on Sunday during the President’s brief visit there. Mr Jagdeo recommended that the villagers form a special management committee, after which he would see to it that the NDC hand over control of the ground to members of this committee. Clifton Settlement/Tain residents asked that the President help them in having a multipurpose playfield fenced around, which he agreed to do. He stressed that he was more than willing to continue his support of the youth recreational projects but that the persons who benefited the most from them should also show an interest in upkeeping their maintenance. Late Sunday afternoon, the President also had a chance for some less formal interactions with young people when he visited the Ministry of Tourism-sponsored fun day at Number 63 beach. Tuesday, December 13, 2005