I am not surprised that there are many concerns about the purpose of an Appreciation Day for our President Bharrat Jagdeo. But, simultaneously I am pleased that he has been recognised for many laudable contributions to Guyana’s development.

Of course, no government is perfect. It is not mainly the person to honour; it is the outcome of that person’s efforts in making lives better for all. Deliberate policies pursued by governments are to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs, and winners exceed the losers and, not to please a small group of people and their selfish interests.

Because of Jagdeo’s effort, Guyana is having a greater positive presence on the international stage. He appears to be more assertive than other Caricom members in relation to trade agreements, such as, his strong positions on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).  He has pushed for agricultural sustainability locally and regionally recognizing, the importance of food security through his proposals mainly the Jagdeo Initiative and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Further, if we take the time to look and analyze carefully the recent reports such as the World Bank reports from 1994 to present, the World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) country reports, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bank of Guyana reports, we can see for ourselves the positive, incremental changes that occurred over the years in Guyana. We cannot expect comprehensive change to happen all at once.

In bidding farewell as President of this country, he is leaving Guyana on a positive note. Look at our recent Bank of Guyana half-year report for 2011, indicating a growth rate of 5.9 percent. Recognising too that economic growth does not necessarily signify economic development, more emphasis has been placed on the development of education and health and improvement in standards of living across regions in Guyana.

I have only spoken about a few contributions. There are other noteworthy contributions that will be addressed in the future. I am satisfied about his achievements and contributions to Guyana. I hope that the next presidency will continue to make even greater outcomes in the coming years. Our country does have vast potential in attaining higher economic growth and development, hence the need for strong governments to pursue policies in order to create such outcomes.