PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo’s official trips abroad have won for Guyana international goodwill, recognition and respect as well as support for its development in many sectors. Some have and continue to criticise the frequency of these visits but these have not been in vain.
Under relentless criticisms, to the extent where the late President Cheddi Jagan and his young Finance Minister, Bharrat Jagdeo were called ‘travelling beggars’, the duo persisted in unremitting efforts to persuade Heads-of-States across the globe to forgive Guyana her debts that had been accrued by the previous administration.
Dr. Jagan died before he could realise all his dreams for this nation, but he had left a solid construct to perpetuate his endeavours and Mr. Jagdeo continued to pursue debt relief at every forum.
Simultaneously, he used every opportunity – and created opportunities where these did not present themselves – to open doors for assistance packages and cooperative initiatives through bilateral and multilateral agreements that would have injected help in cash or kind to boost Guyana’s developmental drives.
To itemise these would need volumes but suffice it to say that consecutive national budgets have incrementally amplified the annual budget in every sector; and, ironically again, every idea mooted, and every initiative implemented by this government has been severely criticised by the very persons who drove this nation’s developmental graphs on a downward spiral to the very bottom of the chart.
The grudge and vindictive criticisms from those who are, nonetheless enjoying the benefits in equal measure with every other citizen of the land, continue unabated, and the level of acrimony against the President and current regime could be gauged from the current budget debate.
But, regardless, the President will continue to travel – not in a private jet with a 50-strong contingent, as in the days of yore – but simply, utilising minimal outlay of state resources, and achieving superlative dividends for Guyana and Guyanese – even the dissidents and warmongers.
His latest trip to India is a case in point; and soon Guyanese would be able to access optimal healthcare in specialised areas at significantly reduced costs.
The fact that these facilities would be available to patients from neighbouring territories, as is happening at the Ophthalmology Centre in Port Mourant, is testimony to the fact that President Jagdeo’s trips abroad are providing benefits, not only to Guyanese, but even regionally and globally, and this has been recognised and lauded by many heads of international organisations and states.