PRESIDENT David Granger has expressed condolences to the wife and relatives of the late Clyde Roopchand, CCH, who died on March 30, 2016 in New York.Roopchand served for many years in the State Planning Secretariat and the Ministry of Finance, the President said in a statement, adding that Roopchand was awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) in 2011 for his service to Guyana.

And Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said it is with deep regret and sadness that he received the news of the passing of Roopchand.

“I have known Clyde for a long time, dating back to my early days as an economist in the State Planning Secretariat. He served as Chief Planning Officer of Guyana, and did so with distinction. His commitment to national development was unquestionable, and his service to our people was selfless and exemplary,” Jagdeo said.

He added that during the period he served as Minister of Finance and President, Roopchand held numerous posts, including Director of the CDB; alternate Governor of the CDB; Guyana’s Representative to the Board of Governors’ meetings of the IDB and IMF; and Chairman of the GRA Board, among numerous other regional and international posts.

“His institutional knowledge and immense experience are a great loss to our country. He guided the process of preparing the capital budget and Public Sector Investment Programme,”Jagdeo said.
According to Jagdeo, Roopchand’s work in following up the implementation of numerous decisions made on cabinet outreaches, and the key role he played in the implementation of various development initiatives in the regions brought him close to many people who live in those areas.

“Clyde Roopchand’s contributions to Guyana spanned many decades, serving every government and President in our post-Independence history. He was an outstanding public servant. The PPP is grateful for the service of this patriot to our country,” Jagdeo added.