.jpg)
of the seventh cycle of the BNTF, which is the bank’s flagship programme for direct poverty reduction.
Speaking at the launch, which was held at Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown, Dr. Smith said that there were over 1,000 sub-projects in the 5th and 6th cycles of the BNTF, and he commended the Finance Ministry and all other agencies and community-based groups for a job well done.
He pointed that along with Guyana’s US$6.1M allocation of funding from CDB under the seventh cycle of the BNTF, the government’s US$1M contribution in counterpart resources brings the total programme size to US$7.1M.
According to him, Guyana is receiving 12% of the total of BNTF’s 7th cycle allocation of US$51.7M, which represents the largest amount any country is receiving under the BNTF.
This, he said, demonstrates once again the high priority the CDB places on helping Guyana to make great strides in social development, even as the country’s economic performance leads the rest of the Caribbean.
Dr. Smith said the bank is very proud of the work that they are doing in Guyana, which he believes showcases in a very graphic and successful manner what CDB’s franchise value really means.
CDB/GUYANA RELATIONSHIP
The CDB/Guyana relationship, he said, has generally been a very successful one but none as satisfying as their partnership in BNTF, which offers local solutions to problems which people face on a daily basis.
According to Dr. Smith, these problems include getting from one place to another, moving produce to market, accessing education and health care and even sourcing safe drinking water for families.
This, he said, is very basic but important, and the launch of the seventh cycle represents the beginning of yet another phase of ending the scourge of poverty.
CDB, the Government and people of Guyana have joined hands to push back against the economic and social conditions which for too long deprived them of a decent standard of living, he stated.
Dr. Smith explained that in this seventh cycle of the BNTF, they are trying to align the capabilities of their staff and the lessons which they have learnt from their work on other types of projects in other countries to the work which they do in BNTF.
Pointing out that unemployment is a problem in Guyana, just as it is in other member countries; he noted that they have learnt that human resource development is the most effective way to create opportunities, to increase employability and to stem inter-generational poverty.
According to him, their approach to skills training in this cycle of the BNTF will be much more focused on addressing the lack of qualifications and skills, and geared more towards meeting the needs of the labour market.
“We will build on the work carried out in the previous cycles of BNTF to reduce the skills gap, empowering people not only to seek employment but to develop their own businesses,” he said.
A good example of this, he said, is the Information Technology skills training programme established by the Government of Guyana with CDB support, which allowed communities across the country to be equipped with computer labs and staffed with instructors to teach persons of all ages and educational backgrounds how to use the computer.
He added that among the other programmes under the BNTF, will be one which places high priority on citizen security in order to make people feel more secure in their communities and to make the environment more attractive for new investment.
Dr. Smith further explained that CDB’s emphasis on building resilience to natural hazards will also be visible in this phase of the BNTF, since the evidence is clear that the poor are the most adversely impacted by climate-related events.
He added that increased emphasis will also be placed on adhering to appropriate building codes and on climate proofing social and economic infrastructure on which the poor rely.
He related that as he visits BNTF programmes across the region, he never ceases to be impressed that through their creativity and hard work persons are able to do so much with so little.
The CDB president indicated that there are many heartwarming stories about how the programmes under the BNTF make a difference in people’s lives, and stories such as these make him feel like they are truly making a difference.
According to him, Guyana has been a major beneficiary of resources from CDB’s Special Development Fund (SDF), and since the founding of the bank in 1970, right up to the end of 2012 Guyana has been the largest beneficiary of loans and grants from the CDB.
He informed that over that time, Guyana received US$165M in SDF loans, which represents 15% of CDB’s SDF loans of all the SDF eligible countries.
Dr. Smith added that Guyana has benefitted from US$35M in grant funds or 11% of all the SDF grant resources which have been approved to CDB’s borrowing member countries, the largest portion of which was allocated to the BNTF.
He challenged those involved in the BNTF to be more results focused in the design of sub-projects in this cycle, and to always remember that they manage what they measure.
This, he explained, means that they should measure where they are starting from when they design the projects and measure the progress that they are making in the implementation and in the end check to see the difference they have made.
According to him, the tax-payers who provide these funds are insisting on value for money and they must be able to demonstrate that they have used all resources well for the BNTF, which is a people-centred and people-driven programme.
The CDB’s current portfolio of projects in Guyana includes a US$34 million project to rehabilitate the West Coast Demerara Road, a US$16 million project to upgrade hundreds of community roads, a US$7 million project to construct 2 new TVET centres, and the provision of grant resources to fund the flagship Basic Needs Trust Fund poverty programme. “These interventions, taken individually or as a collective, have and will benefit all segments of our population, underscoring the confidence and prominence we as a Government place on CDB as a key development partner,” said Finance Minister and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the CDB, Dr. Ashni Singh.
Dr Singh, who also addressed the audience at yesterday’s launch of the seventh cycle of the BNTF programme, stated that the progress towards the achievement of the social and economic goals in Guyana can only be achieved with the continued support of development partners such as the CDB.
Dr. Singh noted that the CDB has since its founding and over the years been led by distinguished and outstanding regionalists, each of whom in their own unique way has left their distinguishable mark and contribution in the Caribbean.
According to him, the CDB has occupied an extremely special place in the region’s landscape, since it has certainly made its mark in delivering an extremely valuable contribution, which is evident in no place more than Guyana.
He explained that the CDB has done extremely outstanding work and proven its worth as a reliable and responsive development partner through programmes such as the BNTF, particularly as it relates to targeting the most vulnerable communities and addressing the most critical needs.
CHANGED LIVES IN GUYANA
Dr. Singh pointed out that there are various projects which have been supported by the CDB that have literally changed lives in Guyana, such as the Community Road Improvement Project, which is currently in an advanced stage of implementation.
He noted that this project has seen community roads upgraded in 12 communities throughout the coast of Guyana, some of which he has visited and heard residents speak of the difference these roads have made in their lives.
He also indicated that the CDB has made a very significant contribution in the area of expanding infrastructure of technical and vocational training, increasing the capacity of training and delivering training and training programmes to the people of Guyana.
The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) project, he said, has seen the construction of two major TVET centres at Mahaica and Leonora, and has also equipped and upgraded facilities at many other TVET centres throughout the country.
Dr. Singh asserted that hundreds of students currently attend classes at these TVET centres, acquiring skills which prepare them for the world of work while thousands of young and not so young Guyanese also supply an extremely important pool of skills to the business community of Guyana.
He pointed out that this reduces the cost of doing business, improves competitiveness and efficiency from productivity not only in the entity in which they work but ultimately in the aggregate in the Guyanese economy as a whole
According to him, he has had regular engagements with the members of the private sector who indicate that they have a huge demand for skilled labour.
The quest by young Guyanese to find productive, constructive and rewarding work and the needs of the business community for trained and efficient workers is matched with the provision of TVET across the country.
This, he said, is something that the Government of Guyana takes very seriously, and with the assistance of the CDB on the TVET programme, as well as skills training provided by the board of industrial training programmes and youth empowerment and skills training, this need is being addressed.
On behalf of President Donald Ramotar, and the government and the people of Guyana, Dr. Singh expressed appreciation to the CDB for the outstanding contribution that they have made to Guyana thus far and said that they look forward to continued support as they partner in the cause of developing Guyana and the Caribbean.
