THE latest Cabinet outreach kicked off yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown in an interactive three-hour session themed `Conversations on the Future’.

President Bharrat Jagdeo gave the main address and then fielded questions from a cross section of society, including students, labour and business leaders, and representatives of Amerindian and women’s organisations.

At the end of the session, Mr. Jagdeo pledged that the `conversations’ will continue, saying these are aimed at refining the pathway for the country’s future.

He explained that the government has a clear vision of national development and the event launched yesterday was intended to help get and convey the big picture.

Chairperson of the proceedings and Presidential Adviser on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira, said the `Conversations on the Future’ are an addition to the Cabinet outreach which continues in Region Four following recent sessions in Regions Three and Six.

She said the series allows the government to share its vision and the developmental agenda with Guyanese across the country, cutting across political confines and negativism.

Guyana’s draft Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was also addressed at intervals during yesterday’s meeting, is a component of the National Development Strategy forged several years ago, Teixeira said.

President Jagdeo noted that while Guyana has progressed in several crucial sectors, many Guyanese are still too poor and said that entrepreneurial behavour must flourish to help build a stronger private sector.

“We need foreign investors but we need a strong indigenous private sector”, he said.

“We have to commit to achieve much more and faster”, he said, noting the country has to move to a second wave of development.

Mr. Jagdeo referred to the road and bridge links with Brazil and plans for a deep water harbour in the Berbice River saying these are vital to further development.

He also announced that discussions are in train with an overseas company to put down a fibre optic backbone to boost the Information Technology Communications network across the country for Guyanese to buy into the growing IT services economy.

He also reiterated that plans for a hydro-power station are still on the cards and a decision from the company involved in the proposed Amalia Falls project has until the end of next month to make a decision on continuing.

The President said that in the meantime, Guyana is also negotiating with the EXIM Bank of China for a loan to build a new power grid to link electricity supply stations along the coast.