Agenda For Development

On behalf of the People’s National Congress Reform, I wish to welcome you to the launch of the Agenda For Development, our programme for the modernisation of Guyana. This document flows from an extensive process of consultation with a wide cross-section of Guyanese from all walks of life. It is therefore reflective of the needs and aspirations of all of our people, irrespective of their age group or ethnicity. The issues we address touch lives whether we are from the city, the towns, the villages or hinterland communities. All across this country, there is a growing feeling of impatience with the status quo. There is strong and rising desire for change. Our Agenda For Development is a blueprint for that change.

 

Mr Chairman, I would like at the very outset to state two affirmations. First, that we present ourselves as the PNC Reform, a Party enhanced by the addition of many 

talented citizens representing every social category of Guyanese based both at home 

and overseas. They have recognised compelling arguments for becoming involved in 

the political processes through the Reform movement. They have brought additional dimensions and experiences to our Party and will, in our view, make the probability of success of our development process even more certain. The PNC Reform is the result 

of a political conviction that inclusiveness enhances our capacity to serve this nation, 

a conviction which has become more entrenched in our Party over the years.

 

 Secondly, we affirm that the parlous state of Guyana’s economy and the magnitude 

of our social and institutional problems demand that we cannot continue with business 

as usual. The mechanisms and paths which have brought us to this point must be rejected firmly and irrevocably. It is in that context that we present an agenda for development that is comprehensive, thorough, and radical. A defining characteristic 

of the PNC Reform is that it looks to the future – unlike our opponents, whose focus 

is firmly rooted in the past. Agenda For Development represents the people’s vision 

for the future of Guyana. It advocates a number of bold, imaginative and achievable initiatives. Implicit in its boldness is a tacit desire of all Guyanese to approach the 

future with confidence and to work assiduously together for social and economic advancement. People are at the centre of the Agenda.  Our objectives are to 

generate sustainable development and to foster real improvements in the quality 

of life of all of our people.

 

Some of our fundamental principles are:

 

        The need to ensure that private initiative and entrepreneurship underpin the development thrust of Guyana.

 

        The involvement of all the human resources that could be available to 

Guyana’s development effort.

 

        The importance of making use of relevant technological advances in our development process.

 

       The need to continue to move away from previous views about the role of the 

state in economic life,

 

        The need to devise and implement a new form of governance for Guyana 

that will allow us to move away from: ethnic divisiveness, over-centralisation of decision-making, inefficiencies in project implementation, disregard for the rule of 

law, and the mushrooming growth of corruption.

 

        The need to move towards a political system based on the inclusion of

individuals, their communities, and their organisations in decision-making about their affairs. 

 

All this involves consciously moving away from the traditional “winner take all” 

approach which dictates the objectives of public life and governance at national and regional levels in our multi-ethnic society.

 

Guyana’s current parlous state has resulted from important deficiencies including 

poor capabilities of the systems of governance and inadequate systems for making 

and implementing development programmes. These deficiencies have created an atmosphere of low productivity, low morale and pessimism among citizens. The conviction has begun to take root that an individual’s or a community’s welfare resides substantially in the hands of the Party in power, rather than in their own. The Party in government is incapable of comprehending and responding creatively to these challenges. It does not recognise the inappropriateness of its approach that places loyalty to the Party above competence and national interest.

 

The PNC Reform believes that the modernisation of Guyana depends upon a ‘social 

and economic transformation’. By this we refer to a process which creates a more competitive, productive society with levels of skills and other competitive capabilities different from, and far higher than at present. This can only be achieved through the enhancement of individuals, communities and institutions, using appropriate policies 

for investment in the human, physical, and cultural aspects of development. We believe that social and economic transformation should be based on clear priorities, including:

 

                    The creation of wealth and access to opportunity as important aspects 

of economic development

 

                    The importance of job creation and micro economic opportunity as a crucial aspect of combating poverty

 

                    The importance of new technology and modern systems in training, learning, management and research as a basis for creating a new social and economic environment.

 

                    The importance of reforming and modernising key national institutions.

 

                    The importance of modernising and reforming the nature of governance

 

The Social and Economic Transformation of Guyana will include the following initiatives:

 

                    The reorganisation of traditional sectors

 

                    The expansion of our infrastructure base.

 

                    The establishment of new industries and the generation of massive 

new investment

 

                    The introduction of a modern Freedom of Information Act

 

                    The removal of government ownership and the unfettering of all media 

as a prerequisite to greater openness in our society and governance.

 

                    The granting of autonomy and scope to the people at the community, neighbourhood and regional levels.

 

                    The enabling of greater participation in the social transformation by 

the integration of the work of government with the social partners such as organised labour, private sector and the NGOs in the relevant sectors.

 

INSTITUTIONAL REFORM

The modernisation of Guyana, which we intend to promote, will not be possible 

without far reaching measures directed at reshaping and restructuring key institutions, 

as well as the creation of more appropriate and useful institutions to cope with the 

nature and pace of reform.  We propose new ministerial emphases on tourism, 

science and information technology, and development. Important sectors will be 

grouped for better coordination; in particular, Ministries with concerns for the social 

sector will be strongly coordinated within a social policy planning approach. The operations of Parliament will be given greater prominence and support. Mechanisms 

for the greater involvement of the Parliament and its sub committees, including those recommended in the constitutional reform process will be utilised to give transparent oversight to the activities of the governmental system.

 

A modernised financial sector will have primary responsibility for mobilizing and allocating savings and investable resources.  We will ensure the independence and autonomy of the Central Bank, establish a functioning Insurance Authority, implement 

the phased development of a Securities Exchange, and establishment of a modern Development Bank with provision of micro-enterprise funding as one of its major priorities. We will give high priority to mobilising the investment of Guyanese overseas.

 

In order to build investor confidence in the modernising of our economy, as well as to restore the confidence of citizens in the rule of law, the efficiency, impartiality, and image of the legal system will be restored.  Reforms in progress in the Public Service 

and wider State sector will be strengthened and the status of the magistracy, the judiciary and the registry will be enhanced.

 

The current decline of public confidence in the police not only has a depressing effect 

on public morale but is also disincentive to investment and economic growth. The PNC Reform will move with urgency to reform the police and its community relations, improve salaries and conditions of service and restore the professionalism of the force. The establishment of credible and independent mechanism for investigating complaints against the police will be crucial to re-establishing and maintaining professionalism 

and public confidence.

 

Modernisation requires the creation of institutions dedicated to research, and 

knowledge creation, with which to fuel the development process.  For example, we 

intend to create a National Economic Advisory Council; a high-powered 

“Think-Tank”, in which our deepest thinkers can continually monitor and anticipate 

global developments and advise on a national response. In addition, we will establish 

a strong and modern autonomous Statistical Service, with which to provide the 

necessary data for making intelligent decisions.

 

The University of Guyana directly and through university international networking 

will be brought into a pivotal role in research, consultancy, advisory, and technology transfer relationship with the governmental structure.

 

We plan to set up a number of National Commissions/Task Forces to provide public solutions for many of the complex problems that we face. There will include poverty Reduction, Housing, Telecommunications, Tourism, Social Policy, and, Tax Reform. Because of the fundamental roles communities play in our society, effective and responsive regional and local government structures are absolutely essential. We 

intend to radically re-structure regional and local government in keeping with best practices  elsewhere and our vision of inclusiveness and participation.

 

Far-reaching challenges to Public Sector management are raised by the priorities 

of the Reform Agenda for the way the Public Service is structured and organized.  

We intend to address this through a programme of Public Sector Reform and modernization that involves all the stakeholders directly: government, workers, 

unions, NGO’s, and communities.

 

THE ECONOMY

The PNC Reform government will place high priority on transforming, modernizing 

and diversifying the Guyana economy to render it relevant and competitive in the 

global market place. In this process of change, policy will be directed at returning 

to high levels of growth by achieving higher levels of productivity and competitiveness, while simultaneously promoting entry into new, lucrative areas of economic activity. 

The PNC Reform’s objective is to secure growth primarily through private 

initiative. It sees the role of government as a catalyst for constructive change, the facilitator of economic activity and provider of the regulatory framework for fair 

competition and order in the market. The thrust of the PNC Reform policy will be to unfetter the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the individual Guyanese, thereby achieving true economic empowerment.

 

Among our broad macro economic objectives will be:

 

                    To optimise competitiveness of the goods and commodities produced 

in key sectors.

 

                    To build on unique strengths of the people and the country, such as creativity, cultural diversity, natural beauty and strategic location to expand the 

economy into service and knowledge based activity.

 

                    To actively promote quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

 

                    To engage in aggressive export marketing of locally produced goods 

and services.

 

                    To attract a mix of local and foreign capital investment in infrastructure 

and the productive sectors.

 

                    To effectively mobilise the resources of overseas based Guyanese for development.

 

                    To redefine the role of government by reducing its interference in 

the economy and redirect its activity towards the functions of facilitator.

 

                    To institutionalise the formation of a social partnership with organized labour and private sector employers to generate policies that ensure that labour, 

capital, raw materials and ancillary inputs such as energy are modernised and made more competitive.

 

                    To create quality jobs, especially for young persons.

 

                    To make strategic use of our natural resource base in a sustainable 

and environmentally responsible manner.

 

                    To develop a thriving micro – enterprise and small business sector 

that is fully integrated into the economy.

 

                    To improve the efficiency of support infrastructure such as 

transportation systems and government services.

 

STRATEGIES  FOR  ACHIEVING  MACRO  ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES

The legislative programme of the PNC Reform administration will include debate of 

the National Development Strategy and adaptation of its more appropriate recommendations.  Amendments to insolvency legislation to provide a better framework for resuscitating ailing enterprises, amendments to existing company legislation to provide fully for the special needs of  “small businesses” and “micro-enterprises” 

and new copyright and patenting legislation will also be introduced.

 

The PNC Reform government will establish new institutions to support the attainment 

of major Macro-Economic Objectives. We will establish a National Productivity Council with membership drawn from the Private Sector, Public Sector, Trade Unions, and the University of Guyana. The objective of the National Productivity Council will be to recommend and devise strategies to achieve greater efficiency and competitiveness 

in the Guyana economy. We will establish a modern Guyana Investment Bureau to replace Go-Invest as an Executive Agency with one-stop capability and modern information capability, and a Development Bank will be an essential institution in the reform of our economy. It will serve as a catalyst for specialised development projects 

as well as support development loans to “small businesses” and “micro-enterprises”.

 

FISCAL POLICY

It is the intention of the PNC Reform government to pursue a prudent fiscal policy. 

A reform of the tax system will be informed by policies of reasonableness, equity, transparency and efficiency in tax administration. In the light of changes in the global policy environment, we expect import duty rates to decline. We will rationalise the 

current Consumption Tax regime and replace it with a Value Added Tax, if feasible. 

Our government will ensure that this tax will not affect basic items and non-luxury household goods.  One of the priorities of the new government will be the creation of 

a Ministry concerned with Science and Technology matters which will be tasked with establishing a national programme in information technology. This programme will 

include expansion and popularising of Internet access in personal and business transactions, skills training programmes in the public and private sector.

 

PRIVATISATION

It is the policy of the PNC Reform that commercial activity is best left to the Private Sector. Our policy will also seek to secure the widest possible resident and overseas Guyanese participation in privatised companies. Where appropriate, private interests bidding for these companies will be influenced to offer shares to employees or the 

general public through General Share Ownership Plans.

 

The PNC Reform will privatise ALL state owned media.

 

A NEW GUYANA ECONOMY

GUYANA 21 is the conceptualisation and construction of the basic physical infrastructure necessary for sustainable economic growth in Guyana. It consists of 

eight bridges and causeways, ten highways, a deep-water harbour, a new modern international airport, an export processing zone (EPZ) in the Essequibo delta, a 

300-mile highway to Brazil and a 280-mile highway to La Horqueta in Venezuela. 

The sixteen projects which will be financed entirely by private financial resources 

will bring millions of dollars in investment into Guyana, create thousands of jobs for Guyanese and stimulate spin-off growth in every sector.

 

When completed, the GUYANA 21 programme will turn Guyana into a major transhipment hub, an enabling environment which will attract significant additional 

foreign direct investment, technology and human resource capital for Guyana’s sustainable economic growth. The implementation of GUYANA 21 will also boost traditional sectors by opening large new areas of Guyana for agriculture, mining, 

forestry, fishing and eco-tourism.

 

The installation of new communication facilities to power the information needs of 

the various components of GUYANA 21, will make Guyana an the ideal place to site information technology support industries such as offshore data processing services, tele-information services, and data management outsourcing. The export-processing 

zone will stimulate the development of an entirely new brand of entrepreneur in 

Guyana. New business and financing services will be generated and new transport, catering and personnel mobilisation enterprises will be facilitated. We will exploit its enormous potential in water-based industries including challenges in hydro energy, aquaculture, drinking water, and water-based recreation.

 

TOURISM

Establishing a vibrant tourist industry will form an important part of the PNC 

Reform’s initiative to diversify the economy through the development of supporting 

service based industries. We recognise the world-renowned, intrinsic quality of our hospitality and propose that this attribute together with the country’s cultural diversity 

and many physical attractions will be the basis of its tourism development plan. 

Tourism will be an important component of the PNC Reform’s thrust to create quality jobs.

 

In the context of its goal to spur both individual and corporate private initiative, 

government will limit its role to that of facilitator of investment in tourist plant and attractions, and a partner with the private sector in cost effective promotion of the 

tourism product and improved international air services.

 

TRADITIONAL SECTORS

Sugar

PNC Reform is committed to the modernisation and vibrant survival of the sugar 

industry and will proceed in a constructive and consultative manner in dealing with 

this vital sector. The PNC Reform will commission a broad based review of the 

existing studies to determine the range of options available for the future of the sugar industry. We will involve all the appropriate social and economic partners including 

the unions represented in the industry and the communities directly affected by its welfare development in deriving a viable and consensual programme for the industry.

 

Rice

The PNC Reform recognises the rice industry not only as the economic bed-rock of 

rural Guyana, but also as an industry whose vibrancy is pivotal to the well-being of 

the nation as a whole. The PNC Reform believes Rice can resume its significant role. 

On assuming office, the PNC Reform government will act to resuscitate the rice

industry and place it on a secure growth path for the future. This will involve a 

planned, holistic approach which will include among others, the following initiatives:

 

        Introduction of mechanisms to refinance existing commercial debt of farmers 

and millers to significantly reduce their current debt obligations.

 

        Establishment of a window in the Guyana Development Bank to offer pre-crop financing to growers, and trade financing to exporters in co-lending schemes with commercial banks at concessionary rates of interest.

 

        Introduction of a crop insurance scheme to protect farmers partially against 

losses due to natural disasters.

 

        Set up a Rice Development Council to include all stakeholders. 

 

        Implement a programme to aggressively market Guyana’s rice and 

value-added products.

 

        Initiate research and offer encouragement to private sector manufacturers, 

for the down-stream use of rice in food manufacturing using improved and patented technology already existing in Guyana.

 

        Encourage a link between rice cultivation and aquaculture based on the 

utilisation of the by-products of the rice industry.

OTHER CROPS

The broad strategy in this sector will include:

 

                  A project to structure a sustainable export marketing programme to the tourist markets, expatriate Guyanese and exotic tropical fruit and vegetable consumers 

in North America and Europe and a small farmer pre-crop financing scheme in the proposed Guyana Development Bank.

 

MANUFACTURING

In addition to our initiatives on development financing, insolvency legislation and the Export Promotion Zone, we will establish a Manufacturing Protocol. This instrument 

will be developed following full consultation with the business community and designed 

to program the reorganisation of manufacturing in Guyana to cope with modern 

standards of competitiveness.

 

MINING

In addition to resuming our successful encouragement of large-scale investors such as Omai, the PNC Reform recognises its obligations to the important traditional artisanal 

and small-scale miners. We will move quickly to protect their legal status and to enable them to access appropriate financing for their operations. To give a boost to the gold 

and diamond industries, fuel distribution systems will be significantly improved to emphasize the greater carrying capacity of the water and land transport.

 

BAUXITE

The contribution of the bauxite industry to development will be related to our strategy 

of raising production and achieving greater diversification within the sub-sector.

 

To realize the first part of our strategy emphasis will be placed on attracting multi-nationals to develop new large-scale metallurgical bauxite operations which 

are consistent with their modus operandi and necessary for their economic operation. 

We regard the resuscitation of the industry and the communities dependent upon it 

as a high priority and a moral duty.

 

FORESTRY

A holistic Forestry Sector Plan will focus on building Value Added Timber Industries. 

The objective will be to increase revenue and exports from timber operations by 

assisting them to enter into and maximize down stream value-added production. 

This will involve, revisiting banking practices, debt guarantee mechanisms and other options to facilitate access to working capital at commercial rates, and ensuring 

access to a wide international market for our exportable timber products. Priority 

will be given to modernizing and expanding kiln drying facilities, and assisting in the arrangement of joint-venture partnerships with foreign timber manufacturers and 

industrial users.

 

 

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

The Human Resource Development programme in Guyana will be visualised and 

managed as a vital part of the overall economic programme and treated as the human resource aspect of that programme. Under the PNC Reform, it will

 

                    Operate under clear and quantifiable standards of performance and 

clear standards of proficiency and competency.

 

                    Develop meaningful standards of accountability for the major 

stakeholders including teachers and administrators.

 

We are convinced that the enhancement of human capital lies at the heart of the economic vision articulated in our agenda.

 

Our education reform programmes will include:

 

1.  Enhancement of the career and salary structure of the teaching 

profession including special incentives and new programmes for teacher recognition.

2. Modernising the Instructional Technology in literacy and Numeracy.

 

3. Popularising Science and the New Technologies.

 

4. Strengthening the Technology Transfer/Research Infrastructure

 

5. Strengthening the capacity in technical and vocational training.

 

6. Strengthening Programmes in special education and support for the disabled.

 

7. Reorganising of Professional Training and Development.

 

8. Providing Education to Special Needs Groups including out-of-school youth.

 

9. Enhancing physical education, sports, and co-curricula activity.

 

10. Reforming the Inspectorate and Supervisory system.

 

11. Revisiting the onerous fee-paying structures for students in higher education.

 

12. Re-establishing National Service in a modern, revised form that eliminates its compulsory aspect as an important institution for importing skills and promoting 

tolerance and understanding among our young people.

 

HEALTHCARE REFORM

Access to an adequate and effective healthcare system is another vial aspect of 

Social Transformation. PNC Reform Government will return to its strategies of free 

basic healthcare for all Guyanese and the location of their communities. We will 

rebuild a healthcare system that is caring and professional, emphasising both preventative and curative health policies.

 

Our programme will include:

 

                    Increasing the number and quality of all categories of healthcare 

workers by placing more emphasis on staff training and skill upgrading and on 

improving remuneration and other conditions of work in the medical profession.

 

                    Placing emphasis on preventative healthcare by allocating more 

government resources to public education, sanitation issues and school feeding programmes.

 

                    Enhancing the nutritional status of children and adults through 

appropriate educational and community based programmes.

 

                    Developing inter-sectoral responses to national medical crises such 

as AIDS, infant mortality, malaria outbreaks and substance abuse.

 

                    Reforming the management of the regional health care systems 

and improving the coordination between the Ministry responsible for Health and 

Local Government institutions.

 

                    Enacting new health legislation in areas such as food storage 

and handling, environment and sanitation to make all legislation relevant to current situations and trends.

 

 

HINTERLAND COMMUNITIES

The PNC Reform puts a high value on the interests and welfare of the hinterland communities and in particular, the concerns of the Amerindian communities.

 

                    The PNC Reform will make innovative ministerial arrangements to 

ensure the multi sectoral treatment of Amerindian and hinterland development 

issues. The response of government to hinterland problems, and in particular 

land titles will be of highest priority.

 

                    We will also create a non-partisan Amerindian Development 

Council with non-partisan capacity to deal with Amerindian issues. The indigenous 

land rights of the hinterland communities will be given recognition in the dealing 

with the land use and land allocation in the hinterland.

 

                    The Amerindian Development Council will be consulted and involved 

in all development projects which affect their welfare and environmental conditions.

 

                    PNC Reform will re-establish the system of periodic Conferences 

with Amerindian leaders to examine, discuss and resolve Amerindian concerns in 

an equitable and consensual way.

 

 

CONCERNS OF YOUTH

 The most obvious beneficiaries of our programme of investment, growth and job 

creation will be our young people. For them more than any other segment of our 

society, the current era of joblessness and hopelessness has been particularly 

painful. New jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurship at all levels will restore 

their sense of hope and commitment to this country. The PNC Reform believes 

that social transformation also includes as an important element the provision of opportunity for participation in sport, and cultural and recreational activity. These 

activities not only enrich the lives of our young people but also provide support 

for the inculcation of appropriate values of social concern, self-discipline and 

patriotism.

 

Our programme in cultural development will include the revitalisation of the national festivals including Guyfesta, Sports and recreation will be on the front burner of government concerns. The reestablishment of vibrant sports associations,

Inter-School Sports competitions, and an emphasis on the projection of Guyana 

once again be successful in a wide range of sporting activities. As a matter of 

priority, that a National Youth Policy is tabled in Parliament after broad-based consultation with young people across the country.

 

GENDER ISSUES

Social and economic transformation includes as an essential base, progress in the resolution of issues concerned with the rights and status of women. Many of our programmes of investment and job creation will have particular scope for the enhancement of the economic status of women. The PNC has always had a proud 

record of promoting, through legislative and other means, the participation and 

welfare of Guyanese women. The PNC Reform will continue in this tradition by fully complying with all constitutional and international provisions and protocols that 

speak to gender issues including:

 

                    Continuing the work towards ending discrimination based on gender.

 

                    Introducing measures and developing attitudes that will reduce sexual harassment and other forms of sexual victimisation.

 

                    Removing the remaining barriers to the promotion and mobility of 

women in the workplace.

                    Urgent study and remediation of factors causing the underachievement 

of males.

 

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY

The PNC Reform is concerned that the sense of “community”, which has 

traditionally pervaded Guyanese society, is steadily being eroded. The government 

will commission research and consultation to derive a comprehensive, practical and affordable Human Development Programme. The PNC Reform believes that it will be 

an obligation of government to institute and implement schemes for the development 

of housing for lower and middle-income families. This traditional PNC policy position 

will replace the arbitrary award of house lots with the creation of viable communities.

 

 

THE FOREIGN SERVICE AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Part of our reform package must be an enhancement of our capacity to understand 

and react to the global environment and marketplace. Since the change of government 

in 1992, Guyana’s international image has been significantly tarnished; its professional Foreign Service officer corps has been severely depleted; and the formulation and articulation of the country’s foreign policy have become reactive and ad hoc. The 

absence of a structured frontiers policy has contributed to a perception of weakness by our neighbours Suriname and Venezuela which both countries have exploited to 

Guyana’s economic detriment. Furthermore, the policies and actions of the Guyana Foreign Ministry have failed to address the emergence and rapidly increasing influence 

of globalisation, the diverse aspects of global governance, and the marked expansion in the infrastructure and institutions of global activity. We will move quickly to establish 

our capacity of our Foreign Service including such measures as:    

 

        The establishment of strategic global repositioning, the process of placing the country in the global economy and world affairs, Guyana’s new foreign policy thrust should therefore include the following:

 

                    The establishment of a National Border Commission which along 

with a specialist unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a Parliamentary Committee 

on International Relations will have the responsibility of developing a national frontiers policy and the monitoring of border developments.

 

                    The development of a high quality Foreign Service Officer corps through restructuring of the Foreign Service Institute with the capacity to deliver a variety of programmes.

 

 

GUYANA IN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY

The PNC Reform government recognises the importance of the establishment and efficient operation of the CARICOM Single Market Economy to the development of 

the region and its positioning in the global economy. The PNC Reform will therefore actively promote the importance of the Community and ensure that it meets its obligations.

 

 

CONCLUSION

When we launched our bold initiatives in the Economic Reform Programme in my previous administration, we understood then that these were but the preliminary and 

initial steps in a raft of changes and reforms necessary to bring Guyana to a path of self-sustaining growth. We acknowledged that there was need for continued and sustained investment in new sectors and expansion and reorganisation of the old. 

We recognised then that many key institutions were in need of massive and comprehensive reorganisation. It has been apparent that since the ERP, we have 

been governed by people who are unwilling or perhaps incapable of appreciating that 

the initiatives were not a completed work and were not in themselves the basis upon which we could rest or become complacent. The work of comprehensive 

reorganisation of our economy and society therefore remains to be done.

 

The PNC Reform is convinced beyond doubt that our emphases on human 

development, technology reform and modern and responsive governance are the 

keys to a successful turn around of Guyana. It will require massive and sustained 

effort. The reforms will however generate linkages and synergy  will be created as

they take root.

 

We do not expect to do it alone. We expect to do these remarkable things, 

achieve these dramatic reforms and unprecedented growth with the support of all 

reform minded Guyanese.

 

Guyana has the human resource potential, all that is needed is the will and the 

courage to change old habits and embrace the future of Guyana as we reform our country.

 

We will regard the ideas, work, and support of all Guyanese of goodwill as elements crucial to the success of our policies and programmes and a major investment in our country’s development.

 

We offer a vision of the future that provides a real prospect of Guyana developing in 

ways and at rates of which we have only dreamed in the past. That vision is now 

possible under honest, competent, imaginative, intelligent government. We are 

confident that our Agenda for Development is a sound basis for realising the long 

deferred hopes of the Guyanese people for conditions of life that are comfortable, 

secure, prosperous – and sustainable.