–as soon as House approves relevant policy document

A POLICY document spelling out the government’s plans for key sectors such as Energy, Agriculture, Education and Information and Communication Technology is to be laid in the National Assembly shortly.

According to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, the document, officially referred to as a Public-Private Policy (PPP) document, was presented to Cabinet by Finance Minister Winston Jordan on Tuesday and approved to be sent to the National Assembly.

“The document indicated that government will be investing heavily in catalytic physical infrastructure: renewable energy and the environment; agricultural diversification; agri-industrial development; education and training; and information technology,” Minister Harmon explained.

He noted that the policy document is intended to create the appropriate policy and institutional and legal frameworks for encouraging the private sector to play a greater role in procuring and financing infrastructural projects through Public-Private Partnerships.

Minister Jordan has also presented to Cabinet a copy of an external loan agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for US$63.5M for the financing of government’s adequate housing and urban accessibility programme.

“The loan represents the re-assignment of the undisbursed balance of a previous one that was granted to finance the road network upgrade and expansion programme, but which was discontinued,” Minister Harmon explained.

He said Cabinet has duly taken note of the agreement and directed that that, too, be laid in the National Assembly in accordance with Section 3(6) of the External Loan Act.