ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT BHARRAT JAGDEO

TO THE NINTH PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 .

 

Mr. Speaker , Clerk of the National Assembly, Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Members of Parliament, Special invitees,

I am extremely pleased to be addressing the Ninth Parliament of Guyana. I join in welcoming all who are sitting for the first time in this august body. Not only does your office bestow great prestige, but it also carries enormous responsibilities. I encourage all of you to be faithful to the timeless principle of service, and to be detached from the ambitions of power and the trappings of office. I urge you to execute your duties with pride, simplicity and integrity, and to find in this service a higher calling. There can be no greater honor than to be called to the service of one’s country. This privilege is magnified when elected to the nation’s highest deliberative and decision-making forum. I am confident that through your conduct and deportment in this Chamber you will bring dignity and respect not only to your office but also by extension to this the Ninth Parliament of Guyana.

I also take this opportunity to thank those who have not returned from the previous Parliament. I wish to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution of Mr. Reepu Daman Persaud who gave distinguished service in this Assembly for forty one years. Mr. Persaud, your service in promoting the welfare of our people is highly valued.

The General and Regional Elections are behind us. Let me once again congratulate all those who made it possible, not least, of whom were the people of Guyana. It was their resolve and maturity that ensured that peace prevailed. The political campaigns are over and we must now return to the task of building this nation, united as one people with one common destiny.

I interpret the results of the last Elections as a mandate from the people for continuity of my Government’s policies and programmes. Since the return to democracy, Guyana has emerged from a pariah State to one that is firmly on the road to realising its true potential. The society is now free and open, and is underpinned by democratic principles and ethos. Our people have seen their standard of living improve dramatically, thanks to unprecedented advances that have been made in areas such as education, health, potable water supply, housing and public infrastructure.

While these are important strides in the right direction, continuing to move the nation forward will require more than a set of sound and well-intentioned policies. In fact, it will require a climate of institutional and political trust as well as a strong capacity for hard work and excellence. My Government is committed to entrenching the integrity of our public institutions. This will involve continuing the relentless fight against corruption and an unequivocal subscription to transparency and accountability in the affairs of government.

We will institute a process of change at all levels of society so as to achieve greater progress, including the way in which we engage each other, in which we do business; indeed in the way in which we produce and deliver goods and services. We will take all necessary measures to create a society where there are opportunities for all, to build a more inclusive society in which there is equal treatment before the law and by all agencies, whether public or private.

The Vision

Mr. Speaker, in the next five years, my Government will work towards the political, economic and social transformation of our country in which all of our people will have equal access to resources and benefit from economic development and improvement in social conditions. Given the developments over the past decade and a half, Guyana has been propelled to a new threshold that will see us emerge as a modern, democratic and united country, prepared and equipped to transform our natural and human resources into the creation of wealth.

The core elements of the tasks towards political transformation will include constitutional and legislative reforms that will involve all political parties represented in Parliament, and the wider civil society. The underlying pillars of the new political framework will include meaningful engagement with all political parties; reform of the legislative and judicial branches of Government; and continuous engagement of the progressive civil society in the governance of this country.

In the economic sphere, it is my Government’s commitment to restructure and reorient the economy to achieve greater qualitative output. It is in this context that we will continue to facilitate the strengthening of the traditional sectors; support new and growing sectors such as information technology, aquaculture and eco tourism; and redouble our effort to improve and sustain a business friendly environment that will make Guyana a choice investment destination. Underpinning these strategic initiatives will be a sustained emphasis on infrastructure development.

Within the social sector, my Government will continue to expand access and quality of basic social services to all Guyanese and work towards the upliftment of the physically challenged and socially disadvantaged in our society. Guyana is a beautiful tapestry of many cultures - cultures that define our uniqueness as a nation. Our cultures should bring us together and not divide us. Every Guyanese owes it as a duty to learn and to understand these cultures, and the best place to start this renaissance is in the educational system and our homes. My Government is committed to bringing about changes in our education curricula that takes account of this; but parents, the churches, the mosques, and the temples, also have a role to play.

Mr. Speaker , central to our vision is the fashioning of an inclusive democracy, one where the rule of law is paramount, where the rights of our people are respected, and where all stakeholders feel involved, valued and respected. Our economy must be one capable of generating wealth leading to higher standards of living for our people; one that ensures that every home has access to potable water, electricity and telephones, guarantees first rate public health care, secures educational, sporting and recreational opportunities for our children that would allow them to fulfill their potential; and one that provides greater personal security and assures that our elderly and indigent are treated with dignity and fairness.

Challenges and Opportunities

Mr. Speaker , to achieve these objectives, we will have to build trust at the political level and create political space for all. Violence and threats should give way to dialogue, and the development of our country should remain paramount in all of our political discourse. At the economic level, we must continue to embrace an economic system that is open and driven by an aggressive entrepreneurial ethic. We must recapture that spirit of enterprise and innovation for which our country was known. Our investors while primarily driven by the profit motive must also demonstrate civic and moral responsibility towards the society and the protection of the environment. As Guyanese, we must be compassionate to one another and rise to the defense of justice.

In the course of building such a society, there will be challenges both domestic and external, that we would have to confront. On the domestic side, the constant political wrangling and violent crime in all of its manifestations are not conducive to the retention of our professional and entrepreneurial skills and the economic well- being of our country. On the external side, the removal of access to preferential markets, high oil prices and natural disasters present clear and foreboding signals of factors that could undermine our competitiveness in the global market place and threaten our way of life. We are convinced nevertheless, that the effective management of these challenges will widely open the door of opportunities and create a momentum of renewed optimism in our country.

Today, we are provided with an opportunity to move resolutely forward with the deepening of the regional integration process, especially as it relates to the complete realisation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). However, to take full advantage of the (CSME) and other global markets, our industries must become competitive. This is why we have developed a comprehensive National Competitiveness Strategy, which seeks to address issues relating to both the macro-economic environment as well as productivity in fostering global competitiveness. We have since cemented an ongoing partnership with the private sector aimed at furthering the elements of this strategy.

The Policy Agenda

Mr. Speaker , my Government’s policy agenda over the next five years is rooted in the primacy of our people, forged by our previous experiences, tempered by the challenges we face, and fortified in our belief that our policies are sound for our generation and generations to come. In pursuit of this, my Government intends, over the next five years, to advance its policy agenda in several areas.

Sustaining the environment for economic growth

In pursuing our economic agenda, my Government will continue to implement policies that are aimed at maintaining macroeconomic stability, a vital ingredient for promoting investor confidence and reducing poverty. Prudent fiscal and monetary policies combined with debt relief have served us well. They have ensured fiscal and debt sustainability, contributed to the reduction of inflation and ensured the stability of our exchange rate. Importantly, they’ve provided us with the flexibility of increasing spending in the social sectors and improving access and quality of basic services.

The Government will in the next five years continue to pay attention to the fiscal deficit and money supply. Recognising the importance of these variables to price and exchange rate stability and interest rates is key in maintaining macroeconomic stability.

We will continue to expand the revenue base of the country by growing the economy and through greater tax efficiency. We hope to increasingly fund our expenditures from revenue but will continue to seek debt relief and other development assistance from our external partners. We are mindful of not returning the country to the unsustainable borrowing of the past; therefore we will pursue a careful sustainable borrowing strategy to mobilize additional resources for developmental purposes.

In line with our goal of improving the living standards of our people, my Government will enhance the environment in which the private sector operates. To this end, we will introduce the value added tax and begin the revision of corporate and personal income taxes over the medium term with a view of making Guyana a more attractive destination for investors. We will also continue to review the incentives framework and complete reforms in the Deeds Registry, Guyana Office for Investment and Guyana Land and Survey Commission. These reforms will eliminate red-tape thus reducing the cost of conducting business in our country.

Mr. Speaker , the traditional sectors have served us well. In the past, the agricultural and mining sectors have contributed significantly to GDP growth and offered employment opportunities for many Guyanese. In response to global competition, my Government has begun the restructuring and modernization of the sugar and bauxite sectors. I am happy to say that in the past few years, the private sector has invested more than US$150 million in revitalizing the bauxite industry. Over the next five years, my Government will work together with private investors to develop an integrated bauxite-alumina complex. These investments will open up job opportunities for our people in Regions 10 and 6 and rejuvenate the economy of Linden and its environs.

In the sugar sector, the Government has already responded to the EU sugar price cuts by taking measures that will improve the competitiveness of sugar production. For a sector that contributes about 16 percent of GDP and provides about 25 percent of our foreign exchange, the strategic decision of forging ahead with the modernization and restructuring programme may have saved our economy from severe shocks and lost welfare.

The US$169 million Skeldon Sugar and Cogeneration project will be completed in early 2008. This project will ensure the continuity and viability of the sugar industry, support value added activities and secure and expand employment opportunities in the Berbice Region. This investment will also ensure a continuous supply of electricity in the area which would provide an added incentive for investing in the region.

Mr. Speaker , Guyana has always been a primary commodity exporter. More than 90 percent of our exports comprises depletable resources, forestry products and food items. These commodities are subject to the volatility of the international market place and have contributed significantly to Guyana suffering adverse terms of trade when commodity prices fell. This trend will have to be reversed. And this can be done by our private sector engaging in value-added activities. We have started this process. A visit to GuyExpo will demonstrate that we are producers of high quality value-added products that will compete well in regional and international markets. My Government stands ready to provide every assistance in this regard.

It is also in this light that I welcome the emerging sectors of agro-processing, eco-tourism, information technology and acqua-culture. These sectors hold a lot of promise for job creation and in the next five years, my Government will work to ensure that they take root and become the driving force of economic growth and prosperity.

Infrastructure development to support growth

Mr. Speaker , I see exciting opportunities in our infrastructure development. Not only will this complement private sector development but also begin the integration of our country with others in South America. Consistent with the National Development Strategy, our goal of developing an integrated or core infrastructure project that provides a deep port harbour, a possible rail link especially in the mining rich areas of Berbice and Linden, and a highway to Brazil will be advanced in the next five years. The cost of such a project is prohibitive so careful cost benefit analyses will have to be done. This project, however, holds bright prospects for transforming Guyana, increasing national income and lifting living standards. The completion of this project will expand markets and increase the competitiveness of Guyanese products, provide jobs and open up the interior of Guyana. My Government will seek public-private partnership in advancing this important project.

We will also continue to invest heavily in the expansion of the physical infrastructure. To this end, we will further rehabilitate and expand the national road and bridge network, the drainage and irrigation system, including major conservancies, and the sea and river defense system.

My Government will liberalise the telecommunications sector. This will ensure a more reliable, competitive service which is required for Guyana to develop a competitive IT related services industry, employing thousands of young people. We will work to connect some 80 percent of our households to the internet and to make every Guyanese computer literate. I know that this sounds ambitious but I strongly believe that it is possible. If we succeed, we may see a revolution in learning and access to information in our country, and open up a whole new world to our people.

GPL will continue to improve the electricity services. In the short term, their focus will be on expanding services to those who still do not have access, and through more investments in generating transmission, and distribution systems improve the reliability of electricity supply. GPL has also signed a power purchase agreement with a private company to buy 100 megawatts of power from a hydro electric power plant from 2010. The completion of this project will ensure the reduction of energy prices to households and the private sector and improve the competitiveness of our economy.

Improving Social Conditions

Mr. Speaker , my Government will continue to increase resource allocation for social sector development over the next five years. We recognise that an educated and healthy workforce is a productive workforce. Apart from the social benefits, there is also a contribution to growth and development from social investments in health and education.

In the education sector, the focus will be on improving access to, and quality of, education through the resolute implementation of the Education Plan. Key elements of this plan include equipping our children with adequate life skills to function in a productive society; to increase the functional literacy rate incorporating strategies such as new teaching methods and improved curricula, and utilising tools such as computer-assisted programmes and computer laboratories and making computer literacy part of primary level education. Teacher training is a priority of the plan, and in this regard, we will increase the number of resource centers and expand distance learning. Technical and vocational education will be expanded, and parent and community involvement in schools’ management will be increased.

We would like every Guyanese to have equal access to proper health care. My Government is committed to fully implementing the various sector strategies. Our goal is to improve and expand primary health care, and work together with the private sector to provide affordable tertiary care including the provision of cardiac surgery, cancer treatment, advanced eye care and dialysis services. Among the highlights of our plans are the improvement and expansion of the physical infrastructure, the increased training of health care professionals, and the establishment of the regulatory framework to ensure the delivery of modern reliable health services, whilst holding health providers and institutions accountable.

Mr. Speaker , as a nation our success will be judged by many things, but the true measure of our development will be graded by the manner in which we treat the weaker members of our society. I am pained at times at the stories of indifference meted out to the poor and needy in our society.  I am disturbed by the knowledge that some of our citizens still sleep on our streets. I am troubled by neglect of the elderly, many of whom are forced to spend their golden years without adequate love and support.  We therefore have to ensure that within the next five years, we remove those who sleep on our streets to a more satisfactory place of abode; that our poor, destitute and needy receive our support, that we take better care of our elderly, the abuse of our women is strongly deterred, and that struggling single mothers receive some form of support from the State, including access to micro credit for income generating activities.

Housing and Water

Mr. Speaker , our objective in the housing sector is to ensure that every Guyanese own his or her home. To this end, my Government will allocate more house lots, ensure that mortgage rates are affordable and develop better infrastructure in housing schemes. We will continue to invest large sums of money in the water sector so as to ensure a safe and adequate delivery of potable water supply to a greater number of our citizenry.

Youth, Sport and Culture

Mr. Speaker , with a view to enabling the development and general welfare of the youth, who constitute the pillar upon which a nation is built, youth policies will be constantly reviewed. Emphasis will be placed on the social integration and empowerment of your young people including skills- training and opportunities for their personal growth. Over the next five years, my Government will spend in excess of $1.5 billion to train 25,000 young persons in various skills as part of our plan to rebuild the entrepreneurial class in Guyana. We will also be working with others to develop a wide range of recreational opportunities, develop more sports facilities, provide direct support to sporting bodies intro duce comprehensive programmes for sports and physical education in schools and expand coaching programmes in various disciplines.

In order to promote the rich cultural diversity and mosaic of our country, my Government will create a National Endowment for the arts; provide opportunities for our writers, musicians, artistes, dancers and others to develop their talents; and provide assistance to research and document various aspects of our culture and history. In the latter aspect, the completion of the reconstruction of the National Archives will provide added impetus.

Enhancing our Environment

We must also, Mr. Speaker, take pride in our immediate environs. It is appalling to note the ease with which we litter our surroundings, engage in the indiscriminate dumping of garbage and how delinquent we have become in allowing our neighborhoods to be overgrown by weeds and our drains clogged with debris. With the impetus from the hosting of World Cup 2007 in Guyana, I am urging that a concerted and determined national effort be made to enhance our communities. The issue is not just about aesthetics. It is also about good hygiene and pride in our country. We intend to pursue these goals through public education and the introduction of tougher laws and penalties.

Security and Crime

Mr. Speaker , the strengthening of security and public safety will be given a high priority in my administration. There has been few areas that have emotively captured the attention of the Guyanese people as the way in which crime and issues of security have. It is not difficult to comprehend why this is so: our Constitution provides for respect for life, limb and private property. The daily account of abuses of these rights has indeed led to strident calls for sustained action to be taken to uphold them. Currently, Guyanese are troubled by criminal activities in its various forms and manifestations, be they crimes involving arms and other weapons, narco trafficking, economic crimes, traffic offences, and domestic violence. All of them have played a role in generating tensions in our society. Lives have been shattered and the future of many families of innocent victims of crime terribly affected. The costs on our economy are tremendous and our image abroad has suffered.

Over two years ago we started discussions with the Inter-American Development Bank for the resources to support our plans for the criminal reform of the justice system. We have secured a significant sum of money to support police reform and the reform of the judiciary. We have also secured commitments from a number of bilateral donors.

Work has started. We have a clear idea what changes are needed. We now have to urgently move forward. I have asked the Minister of Home Affairs to work with the police force to pursue this matter with a single- minded focus.

Reforms will focus on strengthening the crime fighting capabilities of the police force and will include better intelligence gathering, provision of hardware, improving forensic and investigative capabilities, improved training, special units to deal with serious crimes and the best international advice. On the prevention side we will work with communities and vulnerable groups that are preyed upon by the criminal enterprise in their recruitment drive to provide them with support and other options.

External Relations

Mr. Speaker , another broad area of our policy agenda is increased international cooperation and the improvement of our image abroad. The focus of our foreign policy will continue to be the promotion and protection of our national interests.

My Government is committed to the principles of Caricom, the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations, and will work with these bodies to enhance our economic and social well-being as well as to secure global peace and development. The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of poverty and support for national development plans will guide our policy advocacy in our interaction with the UN and development partners. Economic diplomacy will continue to feature highly in the foreign policy agenda of Guyana. Both at the WTO and at the level of ACP/EU relations, my Government will spare no efforts in defending our fundamental economic interest on which the livelihoods and survival of thousands of Guyanese depend.

My Government will also strengthen its engagements with Latin America and our neighbouring countries in order to promote trade and resolve long standing border issues.

Governance

Mr. Speaker, on governance, my Government will pursue approaches that are predicated on respect for the rule of law, the fair allocation of resources, protection of political, civil and human rights, accountability and transparency. I believe that we have to make a more concerted effort to overcome our political divisions so that we can create the sort of environment that would allow for the creation of wealth and consequently for addressing the social concerns of our people. This I believe will strengthen the cohesive fabric of the society and provide the adhesive glue for long-term peace and stability in the country. It would also lessen opportunities for those in our midst who use buzzwords such as “alienation” and “marginalisation” to advance their own agenda of dividing and exploiting our people.

Consistent with this thrust towards  inclusive governance will be the fashioning of a new political culture, one which I have cautioned cannot be contrived, or rushed but must be allowed to find its natural fit within our body politic. My Government will pursue parliamentary and constitutional reforms, aimed at giving effect to outstanding decisions. I do not believe that at this juncture in our country’s modernisation quest, we can lose any opportunity to ensure that these outstanding reforms are tabled and settled.

In addition, I have already signaled my intention to join forces with the political opposition and find innovative ways to work together to solve our problems. This will be pursued within an enhanced framework for political cooperation encompassing the principles of increased meaningful contacts, the identification and implementation of an agreed agenda of national issues and greater scope for the participation of civil society in the decision-making process. I would hope to soon meet with all the parliamentary parties so that we can hammer out the modalities of this framework of cooperation.

At the level of my government, I have already signaled to my Cabinet my intention to hold them to high standards of performance and delivery. It is also expected that while in each ministry there will be a strategic focus and accompanying work programs, attention must, as a priority, be given to immediately attending to the irritants endured by our people on a daily basis in their interaction with the government institutions. Some of these include the frustrations in school placements, obtaining birth certificates and passports, inordinate delays at our hospitals, the hassles that our aged sometime encounter in receiving their pensions, the problems of non working traffic lights and unscheduled interruptions of water supply. I believe that addressing these difficulties and putting in place measures to ensure that they do not reoccur will bring a fair measure of gratification to the public.

Conclusion

Mr. Speaker , I encourage all who sit in this House to give credence to this the highest institution in our land. Not only is it a creature of the constitution but also an expression of the will of the people who by exercising their democratic franchise on August 28 last allowed for the election of members to this House. It is my hope that this Ninth Parliament will be defined and given greater moral legitimacy by its representative character, your openness and candor, the vigor of your debates, the degree to which you seek common ground and your reception towards divergent opinions.

You have an important role to play in ensuring scrutiny of my Government. I see such a role as integral to promoting a vibrant democracy and to ensuring transparency and accountability. I expect the opposition, in particular, to be robust in offering constructive criticisms and alternatives to our legislative and policy agenda.

It is not the intention of my Government to retard the deliberative nature of the National Assembly or to dominate the proceedings in this House. We believe that through the exchange of ideas, discussion and respectful debate there can emerge ideas and suggestions that would further the well being of our people. Therefore, no matter from which side of the House these suggestions emanate, the Government will be receptive towards them.

I believe that there exists the need to deepen the cordial contacts, the spirit of compromise, the exchange of ideas and increased cooperation between members on both side of the floor. Members of Parliament on both sides of the House have traditionally enjoyed cordial relationships both inside and outside of this Assembly. I expect the Ninth Parliament to be no different, and that while there will be the occasional heckling and healthy repartee across the table, these will neither diminish the consecrated relationships between parliamentarians and the parties represented in the House.

I am confident that the existing parliamentary mechanisms that allow for the finding common ground and the meeting of minds will, where necessary, be fully utilized. I implore both sides of the National Assembly to work together in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. This is my charge to you.

TOP