…under PPP/C Gov’t

GENERAL Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee, yesterday highlighted the positive growth of the local economy and lauded the contributions of the private sector as well as thousands of workers.

Rohee stressed that there are many development possibilities that can result through public-private partnerships, as has already been evidenced with the Ogle International Airport and the Berbice River Bridge as well as
the rice sector with the development of the Venezuela market.

‘Under the PNC, there was very little foreign exchange, basic food items, there were long lines for basic consumer goods, capital flight and most noticeably, there was little private sector investment, and workers’ earnings were eroded by inflation and by an inefficient and ineffective governance’

He said: “These stand as testimony to what development possibilities can be accomplished by public-private partnerships and why the PPP fully endorses the transformational 3Ps projects like the Marriot Hotel and the Amaila Falls projects.
“…Today, all around the world, public-private partnerships are much touted as a very important developmental mode. The People’s Progressive Party and the PPP/C Government has always called for such partnerships.”

GOVERNMENT ROLE
According to him, the ruling party sees the role of government as one to create the enabling environment for investment, ensuring a level playing field, the protection of consumers and a fair share for workers.
Rohee added that some of these policies and legislative changes that have contributed to private sector confidence and workers’ motivation include the divestment of the majority of government’s interests in the economic enterprises; floating foreign exchange rates and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange regime; and passage of the Investment Act, the Small Business Act, the Competition Act and the reformed Deeds Registry Amendment Act.
Moreover, work is continuing which will compliment these other efforts to cut red tape and make doing business here easier, through GOINVEST, GRA, GGMC, EPA and other approval granting agencies.
“We cannot ignore the resources that have been invested in the repair and the building of our physical infrastructure such as highways, farm-to-market roads, drainage and irrigation to which the Hope Canal beacons,” he added.
The General Secretary also pointed to the adoption of the Consumer Affairs Act, the Trade Union Recognition Act and the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act.
Rohee said: “Large, medium, small and microenterprise (businesses) continue to work within the enabling environment created by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government.
“The People’s Progressive Party recognized the private sector as the engine of growth. Since its establishment the party has always advocated for a strong private sector, for fairness and for responsibility to consumers, while denouncing exploitation and monopolies.”

TRANSFORMATION
The General Secretary pointed out also that today’s transformation in the economy and the strong, annual economic performance is testimony to the effectiveness of government’s policy, the confidence that has propelled local and foreign investment in the country, and motivated workers to contribute positively to their country’s development.
He said: “Under the PNC the private sector was decimated. The PNC, who today claim to be supportive of the private sector and workers, once controlled over 80 per cent of the economy when they were in power and those businesses which managed to survive were warned of consequences to oppose the PNC or speak frankly about issues affecting them.
“In this period, there was very little foreign exchange, basic food items, there were long lines for basic consumer goods, capital flight and most noticeably, there was little private sector investment, and workers’ earnings were eroded by inflation and by an inefficient and ineffective governance.
“The PPP/C government has reversed all of this with its tri-sector and investment and pro-workers development policies. All Guyanese have been beneficiaries of these successes.”
He made it clear that Guyana’s development and continued strong economic growth would not have been possible if the state still had a stranglehold on the economy.
Rohee said: “It is the billions of U.S. dollars of private investment, both local and foreign, flowing in under the PPP/C government that has made the difference, creating jobs, allowing for the harnessing of the talents of the workforce and causing transformational development all around us.
“In every facet of our lives and in every sector there are these strong contributions of the expanding private sector and its workers, but sometimes we take these changes for granted because we live within them.”
The General Secretary also referred to the banking, finance and insurance sector, which is in the hands of private capital and where decisions on lending are made based on sound investment proposals and the objective evaluation of borrower’s abilities to service their loans.
“Our building and construction boom is the beneficiary of this,” he said.
Rohee also pointed to Guyana’s domestic aviation sector, which provides thousands of flights to all parts of Guyana, as another sector wholly owned by private enterprise.
He said: “One of the bigger private sector contributions to economic development is the investment which thousands of workers and their families have been making, in home construction, building a competitive housing market and contributing to a property-owning democracy.
“Rice, cash crops, poultry farmers, fishers and cottage producers all are now significant private stakeholders in our country’s development.
“Mega investments in the extractive industries, the ICT area and tourism provide massive opportunities for all of our people.”
He reiterated his praises for the contribution of the private sector and the thousands of workers who have “worked assiduously” to produce positive growth in Guyana’s economy.
In 2013 Guyana recorded an average five per cent growth in the economy, the highest in the Caribbean Region.

(By Vanessa Narine)