GEORGETOWN, Guyana, , CMC – Guyana’s President David Granger has announced the reconfiguation of an executive cabinet that will lead to a renewed national effort to rebuild the economy.
In his fourth address to Parliament since taking up officer in May 2015, Granger, on Thursday, said as the nation celebrates 50 years of political independence from Britain, 2016 has been declared the “Year of Renaissance” and the nation is on the pursuit of achieving greater economic independence.
“It is for this purpose that we have come to the Legislative branch of government to appeal for collaboration in our common pursuit of economic independence.
The Executive and Legislative branches, together, can continue to pursue policies which emphasize economic openness and competitiveness.”
He said Guyana will continue to seek investment “for the sustainable development of our natural resources. We can, together, ensure that the benefits of the exploitation of these resources redound to enhancing the quality of life of all Guyanese.”
Granger said the Ministry of the Presidency has been reconfigured to combine the offices of the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ministers of State, Citizenship and Social Cohesion.
“This combination enhances governance and, especially through the Office of the Prime Minister, manages the government’s business and legislative agenda in the National Assembly. “
He said the Ministry of Social Cohesion – a ministry within the Ministry of the Presidency, will continue its work to reinforce national unity. “We can be one nation only if all sections of our population feel that they share in our country’s economic development. We must, in 2016, dispel enmity among individuals and groups. We must move forward as a united nation.”
He noted that colonial rule led to divisions of race, religion and region “which have imposed a big burden on the slender shoulders of our small society. These divisions, for fifty years, have frustrated our economic development, making national unity elusive. National unity does not preclude the existence of differences in philosophies or opinions. It does include a willingness to respect each other’s rights.”
“Our Golden Jubilee is a propitious moment for all Guyanese to put an end to hateful and unhelpful political discord, disaffection and disunity. Our Golden Jubilee is a golden opportunity for us to cement national unity at the political level and at the economic level. “
Another ministry within the Ministry of the Presidency – the Ministry of Citizenship, will implement systems to ensure that the birth of all children is registered and will develop policies to ensure greater control over illegal aliens.
Concerning global terrorist threats and transnational crime, he said work will be done with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security and Social Protection to confront the challenges of international terrorism, migration and trafficking in persons.
As it relates to business – he said the Ministry of Business will improve the ease of doing business; attract increased foreign and local investment; support the development and export of value-added industries and products; support industrial development through the establishment of industrial estates; encourage small- and micro-enterprises and revitalise our village economies.
The tourism industry will be another area of focus during the year.
“We will pursue economic diversification, augment value-added industries and introduce neTw developmental portals. We will, also, reduce Guyana’s vulnerability by expanding the economy into the services sector and building strong tourism and hospitality industries by developing a diversified mix of tourism products.”
In the field of Agriculture, Granger said some traditional sectors such as the sugar and rice industries, that have been the mainstays of the economy, are in a crisis and the traditional agricultural prodcutive sectors must be restructured.
“The plan is to diversify agriculture into new crops and to open up new areas of cultivation, particularly away from the flood-prone coastal plane. We will expand rice cultivation and establish a stabilisation fund for the export prices of rice.”
Other areas of focus include the development of policies and the provision incentives, to encourage greater value-added activities in the productive sectors.; the development of a digital economy as a new portal of development; reaffirming the importance of loca government and creating a ‘green economy’.
The president also said Guyana’s economic transformation over the next decade requires investing in a skilled and healthy workforce.
“We are committed to restoring national pride, fostering respect for our national symbols and monuments and protecting them from damage and degradation. We shall assert our identity and celebrate our achievements. “
He noted that the challenge of indpendence was to move forward as an undivided nation but there have been challenges.
“Wide gaps have opened in income between rich and poor and in levels of development between rural and urban and between hinterland and coastland.”
Another goal of the administration is to achieve a ‘green economy’
“We will pursue climate resilience as another portal of development. Climate change is an indisputable reality. Guyana, as a small, developing, low-lying coastal state, ignores the consequences of climate change at its peril. The rise in sea levels and the extremes of the weather, all associated with climate change, will present formidable challenges to our nation.”
According to Granger, the infrastructure of the country is incapable of coping with the consequences of flooding, drought and damage to our sea defences.
“ We will, over the course of the next decade, be implementing a national climate resilience and adaptation strategy that includes disaster risk reduction measures.”
He also pledged to protect the livelihood of the indigenous peoples and promote the development of their communities.
“It will improve educational access; reduce poverty through skills training and entrepreneurship; promote sustainable agriculture and community-based tourism; extend a hinterland energy programme with a strong bias towards use of renewable energy technologies.”
The President said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to advance Guyana’s economic interests and secure protection .
“Guyana will continue to reinforce national security in order to protect the country’s patrimony in the face of threats by working with the Secretary General of the United Nations to seek a swift juridical solution to the spurious claim of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to our territory. “
He said the government will continue to exercise vigilance over territory and sea space.
“We will continue to advance Guyana’s trade and economic interests, especially with our sisters states in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) through vigorous bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.”
He said with independence, the country made a covenant to be a “free state, aspire to enjoy a better life than we had to endure in a colony. We toiled to repair a country that had been damaged by disunity and division. We strove to create a community of comity and unity. We sought to satisfy the needs of our people by expanding public education, health, communications and transportation services.”
According to Granger, independence promised expanded opportunities and enhanced security – tasks that have not been easy. He noted t hat the ‘Independence Covenant,’remains unconsummated.
“Our task today is to complete our mission by securing, within the next decade, a ‘good life’ for all Guyanese. The necessity of economic transformation cannot be denied or delayed. We must act resolutely to implement the reforms that are essential to building a resilient economy — one that is adaptive to the changes and responsive to the challenges of the global economy”.
“We must, in so doing, recognise some of the other impediments imposed by the circumstances under which we attained Independence fifty years ago. These impediments must now be overcome if we are to achieve the economic basis for a higher quality of life.”
He said the vision of his administration is for all Guyanese to enjoy a “good life”.
“It is not a wish or a dream. It requires greater equality of opportunity in order to attain economic growth. A ‘good life’ is about removing inequalities and providing opportunities for every citizen to be the best he or she can be.
