-President Ali announces; says ‘zeroing hunger’ and malnutrition programme to be launched soon

AS Guyana continues to champion biodiversity, President, Dr Irfaan Ali, has announced that the government is collaborating with some of the best universities to build a world-class biodiversity centre in Guyana.
President Ali revealed these plans during his address at the XII Annual Consultation with Caribbean Governors of the International Development Bank (IDB), at the Marriott Hotel, on Saturday.

“We have kept our biodiversity intact. In the last 50 years, the world has lost 65 per cent of its biodiversity. We have kept our biodiversity intact because that is going to be worth billions in the near term,” he said.
Additionally, after receiving high praises for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) from the IDB President Ilan Goldfajn, President Ali underscored that this strategy is critical to national development.

He said: “…This is another example of where the region is going when we talk about indigenous development and respect for indigenous people and indigenous rights, and the role of indigenous people and development. There is no other example of this in the world that could come close to this…”

Noting that when it comes to including indigenous peoples within the nation’s development, his government does not just “lecture,” the Guyanese Head-of-State remarked that 15 per cent of the sale of the nation’s carbon credits goes to these communities.

He said: “So there are some who like to lecture on indigenous rights and indigenous people, we can [give] real examples of how we structurally integrate economic development and expansion in the lives of our indigenous people.”
Furthermore, as the Guyanese Head-of-State gave his detailed presentation on Guyana’s developmental path, he did not shy away from global issues.

Against this backdrop, Dr Ali, who is currently the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that within a few days, a programme that aims to tackle hunger and malnutrition will be launched.

He related: “We are launching a new programme in a few days ending hunger: zeroing hunger and malnutrition in the Caribbean…. we will launch a strategic programme… to achieve this, we’re looking for IDB Invest.”

President Ali is leading the charge regionally to tackle food insecurity and reduce food-import costs.
The ‘25 by 25’ initiative is a pledge by the Heads of Government of the CARICOM to reduce the region’s food import bill by at least 25 per cent by 2025.

While disclosing some of the targets that Guyana has set to achieve, the President stated that by the end of 2027, Guyana will be able to supply all of the refined sugar products that the region requires.

Additionally, he said that by the end of 2026, Guyana will also be supplying various types of beans to the Caribbean.
Notably, Guyana is already on track to be self-sufficient in corn and soya beans by next year and according to Dr Ali, by the end of 2026, Guyana will be able to supply the entire Caribbean region with all of the corn and soya beans it requires.

NEW DIMENSIONS IN ENERGY SECTOR
As the emerging powerhouse in South America continues to advance on the path to providing more reliable and efficient energy, President Ali used the gas-to-energy project to enlighten the officials that Guyana is on track to attaining its goals.

He related: “… By this time next year, you’re here in Guyana you will enjoy more reliable energy, more efficient energy… energy 50 per cent less the cost you’re paying today… We’ll finish the 300 megawatt energy plant…”

For context, the project, which involves laying a 200km, 12-inch diameter pipeline, will channel natural gas from the Liza Phase One and Phase Two FPSO vessels to a state-of-the-art power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility in Wales.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), along with its co-venturers in the Stabroek Block, are behind the pipeline’s construction, which has an estimated cost of US$1 billion and is cost recoverable.
The Government of Guyana has earmarked $80 billion in the 2024 budget for the project, highlighting its significance to national development.

MORE THAN OIL AND GAS
Despite Guyana gaining popularity for its lush oil and gas, the President remarked that the nation is not being built on that, but instead it is being used as a vehicle to drive growth and development in the traditional sectors.

President Ali said: “Whilst the energy sector is no doubt fueling tremendous transformation in the country, the energy sector is the fuel of the expansion of the economy and the building of a diversified economic portfolio, that will ensure Guyana remains sustainable, resilient and strong long into the future.”

He added: “And so doing, we are focusing heavily on three areas. One, to position Guyana to be a global leader on food security; two, to be a global leader in energy security; and three, to be a global leader on climate services and environmental services.”

BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
Noting that prosperity is hinged on ensuring that there is a maximum level of service, the President stressed that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is working assiduously to attain this, not only for the betterment of Guyanese alone but the Caribbean region, overall.

Dr Ali related: “…We have said that our [Guyana’s] prosperity must lead to the prosperity of this region. So we are establishing the benchmark of health services that every single citizen must enjoy, a benchmark of education services that every citizen must enjoy, a benchmark of infrastructure that every citizen must enjoy and a benchmark of recreational services that every citizen must enjoy.

“So regardless of the wealth [that] is created, the prosperity that comes to every home must allow every citizen to enjoy a certain equitable level of life in the country.”

HUMAN TRANSFORMATION
The Guyanese Government continues to foster human transformation, especially as the world evolves at a rapid pace.
As a result, President Ali disclosed that over the last few years, they have granted more than 27,000 scholarships, of which more than 20,000 were given to females.

He further remarked: “We are focusing heavily on human resource transformation and utilising the investment in training facilities to meet the expanded needs of the economy. So, in just a short time, we have built a factor simulator, that is an entire FPSO… we are focusing heavily on human resource transformation and the training of our human resource assets…”
He further noted that the government is building a second phase of that project, which will train all of the nation’s maritime human resource assets for the region.

“ …. So that is an investment of about US$120 million in a national skill training centre to meet the regional needs and our national needs,” President Ali noted.