President Bharrat Jagdeo has promised vast improvements in the welfare and services sectors, especially as regards women and children. To this end, 2008 will see the creation of a special fund to assist single-parent households.
In addition to putting programmes in place to assist the vulnerable, government will enact a Sexual Offences Bill this year aimed at protecting women and children from sexual exploitation.
Among the other improvements the populace can expect, he noted, was the completion of the Berbice River Bridge. The government was also in the process of formalising major investments in hydroelectricity and exploration for offshore oil is expected to recommence this year, he added.
In his New Year’s message, the President said that the progress achieved in 2007 has laid the foundation for continuing growth and development in 2008. In addition to maintaining and improving the investment climate, he said the government hopes to advance work on major projects essential to transform the country.
Unfortunately, he said, last year the external environment was very unfavourable to Guyana and the country had to contend with skyrocketing increases in fuel and food prices, adverse changes in the trading regime in Europe, the depreciation of the US dollar and global warming; all contributing to increases in the cost of living.
The government has, however, “waged an unremitting effort to mitigate the effects of imported inflation” consistently adjusting import taxes to help reduce the price of fuel at the pumps; removing the Value Added Tax from a wide range of food items to keep imported inflation in check, the President said.
The government, he said has little control over the high costs of fuel, imported food and other items, but will continue to do what it can to contain the prices.
He said that because of sound macroeconomic policies and selective interventions, the government has been able to avoid some of the devastating effects on the economy that were experienced during the energy crisis of the 70s and maintained a sound balance of payments situation with attendant benefits on exchange and interest rates. In addition to higher import costs, he said Guyana also had to contend with changes in the traditional trading regime with the EU, some of which were arbitrarily imposed and resulted in a reduction of export earnings.
However, he said, the government was confident that with the restructuring of the traditional sectors Guyana could cushion the adverse effects and maintain economic stability.
The government, he said, was confident that the measures being taken will ensure that the economy remains resilient and capable of delivering improved incomes.
Guyana, he said, will work with the wider Caribbean Community on a strategy to reduce the cost of food.
Speaking about global warming as a phenomenon that cannot be ignored, he said that over the past year, the government has dedicated billions of dollars to shoring up the sea-defences and maintaining the drainage and irrigation systems. “More will be spent on adaptation and mitigation to protect the productive sectors and our citizens from flooding, even as we seek a fair and equitable global framework to address climate change.”
In 2008, he said, greater emphasis will be placed on improving the quality of public services. “This will demand greater accountability from public officials. No longer should we be content with sub-standard services. Whatever changes are necessary to ensure improvements in the delivery of services must be effected,” he said adding that he could not promise miracles overnight, but his government “would demand greater accountability for performance and where that performance is lacking then the appropriate action will be forthcoming. Those who cannot perform or are underperforming must give way to those willing to make a difference.
“No longer should our people have to put up with poor and unfriendly services. A great deal of resources has been injected into the social services and Guyanese are entitled to better qualitative outputs.”
To bring relief to vulnerable groups, he said, this year, a special fund will be created to help single-parent households.
The government also proposes to adjust pensions and public assistance to assist the elderly and vulnerable to cope with the cost of living in addition to raising the income tax threshold and expanding selective intervention programmmes to assist the poor.
Stating that he was deeply concerned about the violence committed against children and women, he said that this year the government would enact comprehensive child protection and welfare legislation aimed at ending the exploitation and abuse of children.
On the role for responsible opposition parties and other groups, he said, “partisan differences should not impede political cooperation and goodwill.”
Stating that since the August 2006 general and regional elections, Guyana has enjoyed political stability enabling an environment amenable for growth and development, he said that his government continues to recognize the obligation of opposition parties to, in a constructive manner and within a democratic framework, offer alternative policies. “In this way the people are given choices and options to consider. My government will continue to ensure the flourishing of an open and democratic society, one that values the role of responsible opposition parties and civil society groupings,” he said.
He said that 2007 was a memorable year for Guyana as it successfully hosted Rio Summit in early March; followed by the Cricket World Cup 2007 in March-April; the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in October and the special conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community in December.
The year 2007 was also a watershed year in the country’s diplomatic history with the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal for the Law of the Sea Convention ruling in favour of Guyana and settling the age-old dispute, and paving the way for improved relations with Suriname. The award, he said, “now allows Guyana to explore, unimpeded, its vast and diverse maritime resources in the formerly disputed area, resources which can make a great difference in the quality of life for all Guyanese.”
On the performance of the economy, he said that preliminary indications are that Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product grew by some 5% during 2007, which speaks of a resurgent economy.
Growth in the economy, he said, was not confined to the traditional sectors of rice and sugar, which remain significant pillars of the national output but there was also growth in the transport, tourism and telecommunications sectors. This, he said was a vindication of his government’s emphasis on boosting the non-traditional sectors.
The President was particularly pleased “by the large investments secured in the telecommunication sector which as any Guyanese can testify, translated to considerable benefits for consumers as the two main telephone companies demonstrate the benefits of competition.”
On the country’s tourism product, which benefited significantly from CWC 2007, Jagdeo said that by the time the present holiday season is over, in excess of 30,000 persons would have passed through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. “The tremendous gains made this past year are heartening and a sign that tourism will in the near future make an invaluable contribution to national income,” he declared.
He stressed the need to make Guyana welcoming and attractive by keeping the surroundings clean in addition to the unique Guyanese hospitality.
Expressing greetings of peace, prosperity, and happiness to all, he said, “Let us commit to overcome the challenges that will confront us as we move forward united as one people. We are a people born out of the crucible of struggle and sacrifice. We are a strong and resilient nation, and collectively we can make this land that we call home a living an
d earthly paradise.”
