THE Government of Guyana has put in place a set framework to ensure that while Guyana has a successful oil-and-gas sector, other non-oil sectors will keep apace and benefit from modernisation and expansion.

This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Dr Peter Ramsaroop, who was at the time speaking on his weekly show, “In Retrospect.”

The CEO during Sunday evening’s airing responded to sentiments from Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton as they relate to focusing solely on the oil-and-gas industry here. Ramsaroop stated that it was only recently that Norton was heard saying that the President should give more focus to oil.

This, he said, would result in Guyana falling into the pit of the ‘Dutch Disease.’

Outlining government’s measures to avoid such a pitfall, Dr Ramsaroop said Guyana has seen an aggressive push towards promoting growth of non-oil sectors while using the oil sector revenue as a springboard.

The President, he added, has been on a mission to invest and concentrate on agriculture, eco-tourism and the services sector among others.

During a recent interview with globally renowned media house Al Jazeera, President Ali laboured to the visiting journalist in an interview at the President’s office that Guyana is more than just oil. The President went as far as stressing the other areas of development which will be grown using revenue from the oil sector.

“We know countries around the world that discarded their other industries and just focused on oil. What has happened to them?” he remarked while adding, “There’s no way our President will ever allow the ‘Dutch Disease’ to ever come to Guyana.”

Noting that oil and gas is the enabling factor, Dr Ramsaroop turned attention to Guyana’s agricultural sector. With the return of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to government, Guyana, under Dr Ali’s leadership, has cannoned regionally and globally as a serious advocate of food security.

Creating major partnerships in the process, Guyana is positioning itself as a food-secure nation capable of also meeting the demands of the Caribbean and other external markets.

Adding to this, the GO-Invest CEO highlighted the work of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha in agricultural innovation through focusing on shade houses, hydroponic farming and aquafarming, while also exploring new ventures such as soya bean, among other things.

Guyana has also rapidly advanced towards energy security by creating an energy mix that focuses not only on solar energy and hydropower, but also on natural gas through the proposed gas-to-shore project which is taking shape.

Added to that, Dr Ramsaroop continued, the Amaila Falls Hydro Project will go back out for bids in 2023. Once Guyana moves into being an energy-secure country, this will also boost the country’s manufacturing capacity and allow for the production of value-added products for export.

“Folks, you’ve got to be proud that you’re a Guyanese citizen. The fact that we are working to the benefit of all of us; Guyana is on the move; Guyana is on a trajectory of growth,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ramsaroop noted that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is also another pillar that the President has set his eyes on for expansion and development.

President Ali recently announced a partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which will see 150,000 Guyanese trained as coders, as Guyana advances towards data services and data banks.

“Sorry Norton,” Ramsaroop quipped, “it’s not about oil [and] it’s not going to the ‘Dutch Disease,’ it’s not about foolishness; it’s about success and it’s about a plan with measurable results.”

Turning attention to tourism, government has pushed Guyana’s tourism brand, especially eco-tourism, noting a One Tourism Product approach which, as is the focus for Tourism Awareness Month happening now, all sectors of Guyana must be included in the country’s overall tourism prospects.

These statements expressed by the opposition leader, Dr Ramsaroop said, stem from a lack of understanding.