Prime Minister Samuel Hinds performing the functions of President applauded India’s efforts to address socio-economic challenges and foster development; recalling some of the country’s achievements in his speech to mark that country’s 64th Republic Anniversary at a function held two Saturdays ago at the Georgetown Club.
Hinds also spoke of the fertile relations Guyana and India have enjoyed over the years and committed to further strengthening them through areas of trade, economic cooperation, investment, air connectivity and private sector partnerships, a report from GINA said. After outlining a number of ways in which the two countries could enhance their bilateral relationship, Hinds suggested that that these could be numbered among the priority issues on the 2013 calendar of both nations.
On the issue of private sector co-operation, the acting president called for more collaboration between the business communities of both countries, which he observed would help to overcome challenges and create more trade opportunities.
Regarding investment, Hinds said there are currently two existing agreements between the two nations that have yet to be concluded. One is a double taxation avoidance agreement, and the second, a bilateral promotion protection agreement “which will create a congenial commercial and economic environment.” He then said steps must be taken to concretise the agreements.
In his presentation, High Commissioner of India to Guyana Puran Mal Meena gave a brief account about how India gained republican status. He then spoke of the revolutionary progress of his nation’s economy following the opening up of trade in 1991. “We have never looked back since,” he said; observing that India’s economy was growing every year and in 2012 had grown between to 6 and 7 per cent.
Guyana and India share “values of democracy and freedom, respect for each other on the basis of equality, respect for multi-cultural society and beliefs in unity in diversity. This relationship has been consolidated in recent years with increased co-operation between the two countries,” the high commissioner noted. In pointing out the various ways used by the two nations to maintain close relations, he highlighted the one-month Indian Science Fair held in 2012 and the opportunities for further education and training made available to Guyanese in India through exchange and scholarship programmes and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.
High Commissioner Meena also spoke of India’s co-operation with Guyana in the health sector through personnel and plans for a specialty hospital. “We anticipate more Indian participation in Guyana in the fields like global energy, forestry, mining, energy conservation, education, information technology, in the near future,” he said.
