… at GMSA Annual Awards Presentation dinner
THE United States looks forward to working with the Government and people of Guyana to forge a mutually beneficial partnership for the 21st Century.
This was the thrust of the feature address delivered by United States Ambassador to Guyana, D. Brent Hardt, on Friday last at the 16th Annual Awards Presentation and Dinner hosted by Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA). The venue was the Ballroom of the Princess Hotel.
Ambassador Brent Hardt served up a four-part menu of measures which he said had been identified by U.S. President Barack Obama to build strong partnerships with governments, business communities and civil societies in the Caribbean region. 
The measures have been tailored to expand economic opportunities in Guyana, to strengthen safety and security measures, to improve public health and strengthen democratic governance.
In 2010, according to the ambassador, Guyana traded more with the USA than with any other country in the world, exporting some US$298.6 million worth of goods while importing US$290.4 Million in US goods.  
Statistics for 2011 already indicate that trade values will likely surpass the 2010 values, the ambassador said, declaring that “This is good news”.
Much of the goods exported to the U.S. including sugar, seafoods, fruit, plantains and other agricultural products, enjoy duty-free access under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Agreement. This Agreement was extended last year to 2020.
The ambassador stated that there is ample evidence that Guyanese and American private businesses are already partnering productively, citing the ebullience of Atlantic Tele-Network (part owner of GT&T), Seaboard Corporation (owner of NAMILCO) and Delta Airlines along with the Pizza Hut, United Parcel Services and Federal Express franchises.
There are programmes already in place to boost Guyana’s exports to the U.S. prime among which is the USAID Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project that is collaborating with local businesses to open up new opportunities for goods and services in non-traditional agriculture, eco-tourism and wood products. 
GTIS, he said, is utilizing technology to create direct linkages with farmers and large scale producers and to help transfer such new-age technologies as drip irrigation and greenhouse farming.  The ultimate goal is export of high-quality, GlobalCap certified fruits, vegetables and tilapia to Caribbean and U.S. markets.
Promotion of Guyana’s tourism product, eco-tourism, also ranks high on the United States’ agenda.  Brent Hardt indicated that efforts are being made to help attract high-end visitors to enjoy the ‘fantastic diversity’ of Guyana’s wildlife, for bird watching and sport fishing.
“Only last week, USAID invited a group of sport fishing enthusiasts with film crews for a guided tour of Guyana’s interior (regions),” the Head of Mission said, adding that Guyana is clearly emerging as an attractive eco-tour destination. 
In addition, the U.S. government is very supportive of Guyana’s efforts to sustainably manage our rainforests and protect the Guiana Shield.  The objective is to help the Guyana government develop a more comprehensive Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, a National Forest Inventory and other specialized means of registering carbon capture in order to adhere more closely to REDD+ targets.
The anticipated development of a viable hydrocarbon industry in Guyana also forms part of the US menu of measures for Guyana’s development.
The ground is already being prepared for new regulations and policies to govern the impending oil and gas sector and its downstream industries, and the U.S. has committed to partnering with relevant authorities to prepare the nation for its sustainable development.
Technical Assistance will come from the US Energy Governance Capacity Initiative (EGCI) to support industry oversight and oil revenue management in order to ensure that “oil wealth achieves broad-based economic growth and prosperity,” the Ambassador noted.  

PARTNERING FOR CITIZEN SECURITY
On the volatile subject of national security, Ambassador Brent Hardt noted that Guyana and the Caribbean are facing a common challenge from widespread criminal activities that have become transnational.
He referred to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) which President Obama launched in Port of Spain in 2009 to help Caribbean governments address the full range of security challenges facing the region.  The core objectives are reduction of illicit trafficking, improving public safety and promoting social justice. 
“We can only succeed in this task by working closely together and adopting a comprehensive approach to strengthening maritime interdiction capabilities, professionalizing law enforcement agencies and limiting the appeal of ‘fast money’ by providing new opportunities for at-risk youths.
The CBSI has already emerged as a strong partnership that has brought together the countries of the Caribbean with the US, Canada, the UK and other EU countries in technical working groups and policy dialogues. The United States provided US$139 million over the first two years of the programme and the Obama administration has committed to continued involvement in this process.
The US intends to provide the Guyana Defence Force with riverine patrol vessels and communication equipment, the Guyana Police Force with anti-corruption training and ICT technology to share ballistics and fingerprint information, and the justice system with technical expertise to address critical crime issues, among other related interventions. 
The ambassador said that consultations have already been held with stakeholders on strengthening money laundering prosecutions and general legal reform.
He made a firm commitment on his government’s behalf to continue to engage the diaspora along the way to develop wide ranging programmes in this diversifying economy especially to offer challenging jobs for Guyana’s youth.  He is confident that the Private Sector will fulfil the obligation it has to provide training and employment opportunities.

PUBLIC HEALTH
The third agenda item on the US menu for Guyana concerns Public Health to which the US government has been contributing since 2004.  The national HIV/AIDS testing and prevention programme has already benefited from an infusion of US$145 million from the United States, and the significant reduction in Guyana’s prevalency rate of 2.5 percent in 2003 to an estimated 1.2 percent today stands as testimony to the success of the wide ranging programme.
Part of the funds, according to the ambassador, went towards enhancing the capacities of the Ministry of Health’s laboratories and management of general health services country-wide. 
The programme was implemented through the United States Center for Disease Control which currently funds more than 136 positions in the Ministry of Health, the US Peace Corps Volunteers and Department of Defence.

PARTNERING FOR DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE
The ‘dessert course’ on the menu of measures, according to the ambassador, is the partnership for democracy and governance.  He complimented the nation for setting ‘worthy standards’ for the conduct of peaceful elections this year and declared that his government stands ready to work with the newly elected Guyanese government, with GECOM and civil society groups especially in support of local government elections.
The four core partnerships outlined by Ambassador Brent Hardt offered a broad framework for closer continuing cooperation between the United States and every section of the Guyanese community to help ach
ieve the common goal of safety, health and democracy. (Marjorie Chester, Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association)