No rift between us! …Nagamootoo dispels fears of rift in APNU+AFC govt

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo on Saturday dispelled fears of any alleged rift in the five-month old APNU+AFC coalition government, contrary to what is being peddled in some circles both at home and abroad.Addressing a Guyana-Canada Professional & Business Corporation Professional and Business Forum at the Riverstone Golf and Country Club in Brampton, Ontario, Nagamootoo assured the audience that the rumours being peddled about any rift between the coalition parties are absolutely untrue.
Touching specifically on the composition of the four-man team which comprised the delegation, all of them being AFC ministers, including himself, vice-president and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, Nagamootoo pointed out that they all fell under the portfolios which the visit was mainly concerned about and not by accident.
Urging Guyanese to return home and aid in the development of Guyana, Nagamootoo praised them for the solidarity and support leading up to the May 11, 2015 general and regional elections, but however emphasised “we need your talents, we need your finance, we need your entrepreneurship, vision and technology acquired in the diaspora to help our economy grow.”
According to the Prime Minister, Guyana’s growth rate has been pegged at three per cent over the last year and he expects this to grow much more than that in the not-too-distant future. He also alluded to the fact that several talented Guyanese migrated years ago and are eagerly looking forward to the day when confidence and governance will be restored and unfair practices will end, and so hasten a return to their homeland.
Nagamootoo acknowledged that over the years, several huge corporations, including the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) have failed to make profits in Guyana, pointing out that the latter company is heavily indebted to the tune of $85B and counting. However, despite these adversities, the Prime Minister told the gathering, comprising mostly Guyanese businessmen and a few other Canadian entrepreneurs, that Guyana is still a viable place to invest.
“These are opportunities in Guyana for areas like information technology, aquaculture, engineering and in the telecommunication sectors among others,” the Prime Minister assured the audience. He told the would-be aspirants, that while they will also be developing the workforce, and assisting in productivity, the foundation is there for them to make profitable business work in Guyana.
Nagamootoo cited the case of India, which he disclosed has become the fastest-growing economy in the world, surpassing China in terms of GDP growth rate and also posited that India will perhaps equal giant Brazil in the not-too-distant future and according to him, that country’s rise was because there has been a campaign based on a knowledge-based economy. “There has been a transformation in technology and that has been able to reduce the cost of production and has made India become very competitive; and Guyana needs to be competitive and therefore I invite you to come to explore the vast opportunities presenting themselves in Guyana,” Nagamootoo pleaded. The open forum was followed by individual meetings with potential investors, while the Toronto-based AFC was scheduled to hold a convention at the same venue yesterday (Sunday) morning, followed by a dinner and dance at the Woodbine Banquet Hall, also in Brampton last evening.

 

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