NO political party other than the PPP has embraced totally Bharrat Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and sections of the society have attempted to besmirch the efforts that have been expended into the promotion of the gallant LCDS campaign.
There were also professionals who wrote disparagingly of the Norway/Guyana agreement. Now that the reality of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) has been established and funding will flow with the cooperation of the World Bank, these skeptics should all hang their respective heads in shame; they having let their dislike for Mr. Jagdeo to dominate clear thinking and to offer dubious expressions on the palpable benefits that would result from the LCDS.
“It is very important to support climate change financing, particularly in the forestry area,” World Bank Vice President for Concessional Finance and Global Partnership Alex Van Trotsenburg was quoted as saying. “In this context, we are very pleased to support Norway and Guyana in their innovative results-based approach by providing the financial platform for this important initiative,” he added.
The signing of the administrative agreement was announced in the weekend press and I was moved to reflect that neither Burnham nor Jagan (Hoyte’s tenure was an aberration) were ever involved in such an initiative that has brought the magnitude of financial assistance to this country.