Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 18, 2017 News
Regional officials and other stakeholders are being called upon to put partisan politics
aside to develop their communities.
The appeal was made last Saturday evening by President David Granger as he opened the Mahaica-Berbice (Region Five) Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s Expo and Trade Fair at the Bath Settlement Community Ground, West Coast Berbice.
Addressing the crowd, President of the Chamber, Imran Saccoor, noted that many of the residents and farmers of Region Five have heeded the call of the administration to produce more and to develop cottage industries.
“However, they have been faced with many challenges such as climate change, increase in prices of agricultural equipment and machinery, increase in land rental and drainage and irrigation fees and in some instances their lands are being taken away,” the official warned.
Echoing the President’s repeated calls for all branches of Government to work together, the Chairman of the region, Vickchand Ramphal, said that solving the economic and social problems of the region is only possible if policy makers work together in a sober political atmosphere.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency, Granger seized on this point and called on all elected officials to forget party loyalty in the execution of their duties and focus on the development of the region and the country for all Guyanese. He declared that all stakeholders must work together to ensure the development and implementation of a Regional Economic Action Plan (REAP).
This plan, the Head of State said, should be built on the pillars of an economy that is export oriented, buttressed by renewable energy generation and expansion based on economic diversification.
The President said, however, that its success depends on all arms of Government working together with the business community and civil society to come up with a plan that will work for the Region.
“In months to come, I look forward to seeing the RDC [Regional Democratic Councils] and NDCs working together with the Ministry of Communities and working with the NGOs [Non-Governmental Organisations] to draft this REAP. We cannot go forward without a plan and we can’t go forward without speaking to each other and working together. It requires an inclusive and consultative approach. The Region must collaborate. This is not a PPP [People’s Progressive Party] region or a PNC [People’s National Congress] region. This is a West Berbice region.”
Granger pointed out that once one takes that oath in front of the President, they must drop political affiliation and think about the regional commitment.
“When I was sworn in as President of this country on the May 16, 2015, I said I’d be President for all Guyana… I go wherever Guyanese are and in this region, wherever residents of West Berbice are, they must receive the attention and support of the regional administration and wherever the regions are the Ministry of Communities and Central Government must deal with them so that entire country is improved,” he said.
Region Five boasts an area of 324,000 hectares under cash-crop cultivation, 42,000 hectares under paddy and 1,600 hectares under coconut cultivation, with large herds of cattle, goats and pigs and sheep.
With its agrarian infrastructure, Granger said its culture of husbandry is second to none anywhere in the country. He said that the region is well poised to lead the way as hub for food security in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
“This region is an agricultural powerhouse. It produced nearly 247,296 tonnes of rice last year, accounting for 46 percent of national production; it produced 28 million coconuts, nearly 1/3 of total national production; it produced 74.7 million kilograms of poultry; 1.6 million kilograms of beef; 281, 000 kilograms of pork; 60,000 kilograms of mutton; 44 million litres of milk; 1,68 metric tonnes of fish and shrimp. No President could ignore such massive production, and let me make it clear, I am here to augment that production. To help you to produce more. And anything that is good for West Berbice is good for Guyana,” the Head of State said.
Saccoor supported the call for an export-oriented economy that takes advantage of technological advancements to improve cost of production.
Referencing reports of increased yields in paddy production of up to 40 percent due to the incorporation of spraying and sowing of paddy using aircraft, he said, “We would want to encourage our farmers to look to see how they can advance technologically in farming. When you advance technologically and invent new initiatives, you end up yielding better results.”
He called for support from Government for training in marketing and the provision of access to packaging plants so that producers in the Region can be able to reach international markets with their produce. He welcomed plans for the expansion of a dairy industry in the Region by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Chamber President also commended the reduction in serious crime over the last months during his speech.
Following the official opening of the exposition, President Granger visited the stalls and interacted with the residents of the region. Booths included furniture production, solar energy services, craft, farm produce and supporting products and services as well as agro-processing.
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