– Minister Persaud explains during budget debate
Cognizant of the fact the Agricultural sector, which continues to grow rapidly, is a major contributor to the national economy, as it relates to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is consistently making significant investments to further the process of diversification, widen the scope of non-traditional agricultural practices and ensure greater marketability. The sentiment was expressed by Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud during his presentation on the 2010 National Budget in the National Assembly.
Minister Persaud said that the 2010 budget is presented at a time when the world is going through some extra-ordinary challenges, noting that the 2009 budget was also presented in the height of the global financial crisis, which followed the fuel and food crises.
He said that although there are some visible signs of recovery, there are still global issues of growing unemployment rate, businesses going bankrupt and sluggish demand of global commodities.
There was a steep decrease in commodity prices of which agriculture products were not spared.
“These problems and challenges were aggravated by the adverse effects of climate change, ranging from monsoons to the drought-like conditions that we are now experiencing. As a result of these issues, global agricultural output in 2009 declined and the sugar industry is an example of this,” Minister Persaud said.
The Minister asserted that agriculture plays an important role in any country and Guyana in particular in terms of reducing poverty and improving the well-being of people, especially those in rural areas.
“If we are going to consolidate our gains, if we are going to intensify the transformation of our economy and our living conditions, agriculture is very important and a review of this budget will confirm that perspective shared by our government,” he said.
Minister Persaud posited that the scope of growth in the sector is a result of the ongoing modernisation that has been taking place in terms of improved farming techniques, modern processing and packaging facilities, expanded training of stakeholders, as well as the introduction of new varieties of crops and breeds of animals.
He purported that the most vibrant area in the sector has been rice cultivation in 2009, which persevered through heavy floods at the initial stages of the crop and achieved a record breaking yield of one of the highest levels of production.
He added that notwithstanding the progress the sector has been making over the years, there is still much more to be done in order to develop the type of infrastructure that is needed to take the sector forward.
Minister Persaud affirmed that Government did not falter in its efforts to face the challenges that the sugar industry is encountering by bringing to an end the Booker Tate contract and putting in place a Guyanese team to manage the industry.
The commissioning of the new Skeldon factory is another historical developmental project that Government has embarked on in its efforts to sustain the industry.
Minister Persaud argued that there is a deliberate attempt by members of the Opposition to misrepresent the progress that is taking place to create the impression that development in Guyana is stagnant.
Referring to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), he said that it is a framework to take Guyana on the path of transformation.
“It is a visionary strategy that is intended to transform this country to ensure that the traditional economic activities receive the type of support to make them viable while creating a new generation of economic activities,” the Minister said.
He commented that the arguments put forward by the Opposition, shows that they are myopic and fail to see the long-term benefits of the LCDS in terms of transforming the country.
“The LCDS is not a forest conservation plan, it is a holistic development plan that is intended to transform our national economy,” he said.
Minister Persaud rebutted People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament (MP), Aubrey Norton, who equated the Government’s efforts to expand the communication system with the use of fibre optic cables as a waste of time.
He explained that the overall objective of this initiative is to promote the development of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) service, increase job opportunities, and generally improve the economic and social well-being of Guyanese.
“Are you telling the young graduates from the University of Guyana who are looking for new opportunities, that creating a sector that will provide 10, 000 jobs is a waste of time?” the Minister questioned.
He also referred to another statement made by PNCR MP Lance Carberry, who criticised Government’s approach in partnering with RUSAL in the bauxite industry.
Minister Persaud reminded that it was part of the PNCR’s plan to close down the bauxite industry and stressed that it was the PPP/C that continues to subsidise and sustain the industry.
“We have two foreign investors who are investing in the bauxite industry at a time when the sector is contracting and instead of encouraging them, they are criticising and condemning the industry,” he said.  He added that the investment that Government has been making in bringing further investment to save the industry, as well as to sustain bauxite-dependent communities, is totally ignored by the Opposition.
In concluding his presentation, Minister Persaud said that the Opposition has failed to identify any significant weakness or deficiency in the 2010 budget.
(GINA)