Some 530 small contractors in Region Five who are on the government's pre-qualified list were assured on Friday that each of them will be allocated at least one contract before the end of the year.
The assurance was given by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during a public outreach held at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office compound in Fort Wellington.
The government opened the pre-qualification process to the public after concerns were raised that the previous pool of contractors was too limited. The registration period initially ran for one month but was later extended to three months to give as many people as possible the opportunity to register online.
The guarantee applies to contracts valued below $15 million, which are awarded directly by the government rather than being put out to public tender.
At Fort Wellington, scores of residents from across Region Five turned out to meet directly with Vice President Jagdeo and senior government officials.
Mohamed Yacoob said he was pleased to have a long-standing land issue resolved.
"Me reach the agriculture minister and he gave me my land, 25 acres of land, and God must bless him; I am a poor man. I am just waiting to collect my land," he said with a sense of satisfaction.
Bridget Smith of Mahaicony told Ignite News that she attended after learning that the Vice President would be available to assist residents with matters relating to housing, NIS, and other concerns.
"Everyone came out, and it's very nice because you can't be sitting in the office alone and no one reaching the people. The people like to see you. We love him, so he could come out and talk to us at any time. It's a good thing," she told Ignite News.
Rosita Deroop of Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, described the outreach as one of the government's best initiatives, noting that it allows residents to access multiple ministries and senior officials in one location.
"I think this is one of the best initiatives by our government to come to Region Five, as they have done in other regions thus far. And the reason being is that we have all the ministries here, and people used to find it hard to go down to Georgetown to get whatever done, but we have ministries up in Region Five. But at the same time, a staff member cannot perform what a minister would be able to tell you and get done on the spot. And reaching the VP is an honour for most of us," Deroop said.
Shamain Solomon also praised the outreach as an effective way for residents to have their concerns addressed directly.
"Being here, meeting with the Vice President, is a great opportunity because you're here with him, and we can state all our issues, and I know by the time he leaves here, our issues and complaints will be dealt with. It's a great opportunity for Region Five because a lot of people and a lot of residents in Region Five may have a lot of issues and complaints, and I know for sure at the end of today their issues and complaints will be resolved," he said.
The outreach forms part of the government's ongoing effort to engage communities across the country, bringing services closer to citizens and ensuring that concerns are heard and addressed by senior officials.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo