— says President at PSC luncheon

GUYANA’S emerging status as a global powerhouse will require its leaders to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, as the country looks to maintain a positive image.

This was according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali during his remarks at a breakfast event for the Private Sector Commission, hosted at State House, on Thursday.

“When we allow things to be said that damage the credibility of the country, it hurts all of us,” the Head of State said.
He added: “You may not understand it now, but if you have a sea defence project and then somebody says that they don’t see the need for this sea defence project, then the funding agency steps back.”

This, Dr. Ali reasoned, could damage the country’s credibility and affect investment prospects.
“…and the amount of work that you have to do to get back on stream, it’s not only time consuming, but we also lose a lot along the way,” the President related.

He said, too, that with the position that Guyana is in, the country could no longer afford to have misinformation go unclarified, because, at the end of the day, the damages will affect all Guyanese and “every single business.”

The President was quick to affirm that his call for all Guyanese to speak with a collective voice has nothing to do with politics, and that the government is not asking for persons to support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, but rather the country’s development.

“We have to get a collective voice. There must be a collective Guyanese voice when it comes to the development of the country. Otherwise, it will affect all of us. It will affect the banking system and financial sector,” Dr. Ali said.

He stressed that Guyana’s image is critical, especially since the country is now “playing at a different level” and “on a different scale.”
“There are more sophisticated investors and markets looking at us, and we have to respond to that level of sophistication,” President Ali said.

Importantly also, is the cultivation of a strong, united and supportive networking culture among a wide cross section of private sector members. It is for this reason that the Dr. Ali-led government is looking to “bring people together” as part of its “softer responsibilities to the nation.”

With just a few days remaining before the new year, the Head of State projects that 2022 will bring with it challenges that will require a united approach and response from the private sector.

“We cannot survive this without helping each other…the only way to get, not even ahead [is], we have to come close to managing the supply chain crisis, and it is a crisis,” the President said, as he pointed to an Aljazeera news report which said that more than 60 per cent of the shelves in the United States are empty right now.

He related that in tackling the uncertainties of the new year, a lot of forward planning has to be done, while more local businesses need to form consortiums in pursuit of the bigger and more lucrative opportunities that will eventually present themselves.

FULL SUPPORT
In doing so, Dr. Ali said that the private sector will have the full support of the PPP/C government, which is currently working to modernise all of the country’s legislation so as to create the legal platform on which stakeholders could pursue the growth of their business, in a more efficient way.

“We are here to support every single business and your plans to innovate. You will see that demonstrated more fairly in the new year, but if you have a plan or an idea that can create jobs, generate wealth and can expand business opportunities, come to us; let us discuss it,” President Ali said, acknowledging that, in addition to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Guyanese have also had to navigate unprecedented floods as well as the “sharp movement of oil prices.”

Going forward, President Ali said that Guyana is poised to have quite an exciting year, with many massive developmental projects slated to come on stream.

“From government investment and spending alone, the type of triple down effect and wealth creation that would occur would be enormous,” Dr. Ali said, adding that several private sector initiatives are also set for a 2022 start-up.

“Whether it’s the hotels, shore bases, wharf facilities, the housing programme, all of these will [inject] tremendous energy in the economy,” President Ali said, as he expressed his appreciation to the private sector for its invaluable contributions.

“Government has an agenda to create more opportunities for you,” Dr. Ali said, pointing to key legislation such as the Natural Resources Fund and the Local Content Policy which will ensure that local entities get a hefty chunk of the returns from the oil and gas sector.

In wrapping up his remarks, Dr. Ali said that his vision for “One Guyana,” is not only promoted by words, but also demonstrated by actions that are geared towards achieving a common prosperity for all Guyanese.

“When [we] go to negotiate, [we] don’t negotiate for one section of Guyanese; [we] negotiate for every single Guyanese,” the President concluded.

Meanwhile, also attending the breakfast event was Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo; Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, among other senior government officials.