Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
Jun 11, 2009 News
Recently recruited Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance For Change, Peter Ramsaroop, yesterday slammed the recently released International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on Guyana.
According to Ramsaroop, the unknown source that came to Guyana to prepare the report basically took the Finance Minister’s 2009 Budget presentation and “turned it into his report.”
The economist who has been recruited by the AFC said that what the IMF did not address was Guyana’s excessive tax system, the narcotics economy, development issues and job creation, among others.
He said that in the report was the 3.1 per cent economic growth, but refrained from what was the facts, that bauxite was down by seven per cent, “diamond was down…forestry was down.”
According to the AFC CEO, his party disagreed with the International Monetary Fund’s report calling for more data on how the body realized the report. According to Ramsaroop, the IMF also needs to address some other issues that did not form part of the report.
Leader of the party, Raphael Trotman, added that the IMF also should speak with the AFC given that when teams from financial institutions travel to Guyana they hold meetings with a selected few. “That is disappointing in that, there are other points of view that need to be heard and taken into account before preparing such reports.”
He also drew comparison to the IMF outlook as against the Economic Intelligence Unit’s on Guyana, which paints a completely different picture on what is taking place in the Guyana economy.
The party’s Vice Chairperson, Sheila Holder, who was also at the press briefing, took the opportunity to point out that there was no resident representative for the IMF in Guyana – who would be more hands on and au fait with the issues.
The IMF report for 2008 on Guyana had stated that despite external shocks and social pressures, macroeconomic stability was preserved in 2008.
The report pointed out that higher growth is projected for 2009, with a recovery in sugar output expected to offset a slowdown in the other sectors of the economy.
Guyana’s first quarter sugar production has already met a shortfall of some 6,000 tonnes.
The report also pointed out that lower oil import prices would compensate for a decline in commodity export prices in 2009, but locally, gasoline prices have recommenced a marginal upward trend forcing at least one minibus association to threaten an increase in fares.
The report did point out that Guyana still faces other significant challenges, including lower worker remittances in 2009 and preferential sugar export prices in the years ahead.
According to the report, its Executive Directors noted that, by implementing prudent fiscal and monetary policies, the Guyanese authorities had maintained macroeconomic stability in 2008, despite external shocks and social pressures.
Its directors observed that direct spillovers from the global financial crisis on the banking system have so far been limited and the banks remain well capitalized and profitable, and the financial system is sound.
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