THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has come out in support of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), returned Chairman, Mr. Gerald Gouveia said Tuesday.
He made the announcement at his organisation’s 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Duke Lodge, Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown, to a gathering that included outgoing Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. Charles Court; Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative, Mr. Marco Nicola; People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament, Mr. Winston Murray and Head of Guyana Office for Investment (GO-INVEST), Mr. Geoffrey DaSilva. The ambitious and historic climate change policy, to which Gouveia referred, aims to transform the national economy to mesh with a new global regime and a public consultation, over three months, has begun.

However, Gouveia said PSC is concerned that the quest must embrace development in its traditional form, with forestry and mining and all the things to do with forests, tourism and the environment.

“We were very happy when we were invited to sit at the stakeholders’ conference with the President on the Steering Committee.

“And so, the PSC, through its Chairman and Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh, will also be sitting there and we are going to be very much involved in the unfolding and development of the draft strategy,” Gouveia said.

Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud commended the formation of the agricultural sub-committee of the PSC, underscoring the significant contribution of the sector to the nation’s economy.

He said the Administration is working towards laying the foundation for a modern, new competitive agriculture sector that is diversified.

In that context, Persaud said: “The Low Carbon Development Strategy reinforces what I have been saying, because what the Low Carbon Development Strategy seeks to do, or the draft, because it has not been finalised, is prepare nationally for some of the new economic activities.”

He said, firstly, ensuring that Guyana is climate resilient, because the strategy looks at deploying a resource that is worth something and for which this country should be compensated.

“But utilising the return from that so that we can invest and develop some ability to deal with the challenges of climate change,” Persaud pointed out.

He said it can be used to expand the drainage and irrigation (D&I) network and build better sea defences.

Persaud mentioned the Canje Basin, where 144,000 hectares have been identified as land for growing sugar cane to produce ethanol.

PROPOSALS
“We have seen eleven investment proposals but, once people are hit by that reality, that they will have to spend close to US$350M to get that area under production, that, immediately, becomes a challenge,” he noted.

Persaud continued: “And what the Low Carbon Development Strategy seeks to do is to mobilise resources, so that we can go and then develop the infrastructure that is necessary and that is just one example, in terms of laying the groundwork.”

He said the scheme also can help make a difference in the lives of all Guyanese;

“Certainly, if we look, from an agricultural standpoint, it is looking at moving the resources in a way that we can open up new lands deep in the intermediate savannah and do the infrastructure.

“Also deal with some of the other infrastructural needs, in terms of looking at new technology, new techniques and so forth and dealing with the issue of cheap reliable power.”

Persaud said the last has been a constraint, in terms of moving the agriculture business sector forward, especially processing, and that is what the low carbon development strategy is about.

Additionally, he assured that the draft is not about stopping forestry but ensuring that such activities continue to be done in a very responsible and sustainable way, while ensuring maximum returns.

Persaud emphasised that the strategy is also not about stopping mining.

He acknowledged that there are people, within the mining sector, too, who complain about some of the participants and players within, who are not doing or conducting themselves in the way that they ought to.

Persaud said the strategy will require a review of the practices, policies, regulations and legislation for both the forestry and mining sectors.

“So that, at the end of the day, we have a framework that is sound, viable and sustainable,” he maintained.

He said the pursuit is also not about relinquishing national sovereignty nor giving the forests to some international agency or country.

“Absolutely not,” he reaffirmed, encouraging the gathering to be a part of the current national consultation and contribute to its development.

“There is an exciting future, in terms of Guyana’s development but one in which we all must contribute and contribute positively,” Persaud exhorted.

The public consultations have already taken place in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and will move to Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice) on Monday.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is trying to forge a successor agreement to the current Kyoto Protocol that is to be endorsed in Copenhagen, Denmark in December and President Bharrat Jagdeo has been leading the Guyana lobby for forest preservation to be a central plank of that new pact.