MAJOR emphasis will be placed on the generation of renewable energy when the 2017 Budget is presented to the National Assembly on December 5.

In his recent address to the Parliament of Guyana, President David Granger disclosed that budgetary measures would include renewable energy generation and improved energy efficiency – key initiatives to his administration’s green agenda.

“Guyana’s future is linked to renewable energy generation and increased use of energy-efficient technologies. We will graduate our economy increasingly towards greater renewable energy use across all sectors of Guyana. Government buildings will be powered eventually by renewable energy sources, and will utilize energy-efficient technologies. Incentives will be offered to the private sector to follow the Government’s lead,” the President said.

Additionally, the National Budget will include measures aimed at developing a more diversified and climate-resilient agricultural sector. “We will promote agricultural expansion further inland by introducing mega farms in the Intermediate and Rupununi savannahs; promote the expansion of non-traditional agricultural production, such as coconuts, fruits and spices; and promote the increase of aromatic rice production, which will add to the crop production in rice sector at a higher end of the value chain,” he further explained.

As the budget preparation continues, he said, it is characterised by an inclusive and consultative process. “It will be designed around a results-based format,” President Granger emphasized, noting that it will be guided by the objectives of fiscal sustainability, institutional sustainability, and environmental sustainability.

In moving the country forward, President Granger said, his administration would continue to develop a cohesive society in which confrontation is replaced by cooperation. “The removal of inequalities based on geography and ethnicity will lay the foundation for a better quality of life for everyone. We will work to reduce prejudice and violence. We will fashion a multi-cultural society characterized by tolerance (and) mutual respect,” he said.

The President said the ‘green’ state would ensure that present and future generations enjoy a safe future and a higher quality of life. The ‘green’ pathway to development would allow for the country to sustain economic growth, generate new sectors and additional jobs, build a more resilient and diversified economy, promote human development, reduce inequalities, and ensure the safety, security and general well-being of our country, he posited.