MINISTER of Finance Winston Jordan has confirmed that a draft of Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) has been completed.
“I am pleased to indicate that a draft of the strategy has been completed,” said the minister during his Budget 2019 presentation in the National Assembly on Monday.
“Mr. Speaker, in Budget 2018, I mentioned the elaboration of the Green State Development Strategy that would become a living example of our country‘s commitment to the planet, while ensuring the sustainable growth and economic well-being of every citizen,” the minister said.

He outlined that the Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040, will guide national development policies for the next 20 years, providing a good quality of life for all its citizens, based on sound education and social protection, low carbon and resilient development, allowing for new economic opportunities, justice and political empowerment.

According to the minister, the government developed the GSDS from a multi-layered, nationwide stakeholder consultation process that began in 2017 and involved 1,700 participants from 200 communities across Guyana‘s 10 regions. The process saw the engagement of several multi-stakeholder expert groups, drawing together 130 professionals from the public and private sectors, and civil society.

“The government is grateful for their diligent work and contribution to this national effort; and the concerns expressed by Guyanese from all walks of life have been considered. The government is committed to continuing this engagement with stakeholders while implementing the strategy” the minister said.

Minister Jordan noted that petroleum revenues soon to come mean that the GSDS comes at an important stage in Guyana’s development — one that can have an immediate impact on our national accounts. “However, government is aware of the risks and the need to prudently manage these resources over future generations. Sound fiscal and monetary policy is therefore critical,” he said.

“Mr. Speaker, the government acknowledges that economic development must not be at the expense of our environment, and vibrant and healthy communities. Resource extraction should be guided by evidence-based, sustainability guidelines in keeping with our ? ‘green’ state principles. This would ensure that our natural resources are protected for future generations and that we maximise social benefits for workers and local communities,” said the minister.

He said that the strategy will focus on modernising Guyana’s traditional sectors, stimulating expansion in its high-growth sectors and developing new high-value-adding sectors such as tourism, business process outsourcing and agro-processing. “Together, these actions will ensure that the economy can respond to and leverage new opportunities in the global shift to sustainable development.

This economic transformation will be underpinned by investments in renewable power supply and efficient roads and infrastructure that reduce the day-to-day costs that businesses face, improve connections between the coast and the hinterland, and bring Guyanese-made products to global markets in a timely and efficient manner.”