-Finance Minister says

SENIOR Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, has said that the government sees no reason to be apologetic for creating a conducive environment for private investment and growth.

Dr Singh made this remark during a recent ‘Thank you’ dinner hosted by Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Paul Cheong, where he noted that private investments play a significant role in the country’s economic growth.

He went on to point out the scale, scope and speed with which Guyana’s economic landscape and business opportunities are changing. As such, the government was happy to have worked along with the PSC over the years, he added.

According to the finance minister, every year, he is tasked with reporting on Guyana’s growth in several areas.

He said that added that as much as he would love to lay claim to the achievements that are reported, they are not exclusively achievements of the government.

“… Because our task is to simply create a conducive environment for private investment and growth. They are in fact the collective achievements of the private sector of Guyana and I want to applaud Guyana’s private sector for your achievements over the last two years,” Dr Singh said.

He indicated that when it is said that the country’s economy has tripled or the nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing, that reflects the result of value-added products of the collective efforts of the private sector.

As such, the finance minister indicated that the government remains a committed partner and friend of the private sector.

He said that while some criticise the government and the budgets that are presented as being “pro-business”, the President Irfaan Ali-led government sees no reason to be apologetic about doing so.

“Let me say emphatically that this government sees no reason to be apologetic about taking to parliament successive budgets that are pro-business and I go further to say that we see no contradiction or tension between pro-business and pro-people policies because there is nothing greater that we can do for a citizen of this country than to create a job and put them in work to make them independent financially,” he expressed.

Dr Singh went on to add that along with this, the government will continue to have all the social safety nets in place to provide support to all other sections of society.

However, for people of working age, he added that there could be no greater deed by any government than to create the conditions conducive to the creation of jobs, filling of same and the generation of incomes for citizens.