| President predicts ‘a very exciting’ year ahead --with economic growth at usual all-time high |  |  |  |
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| Tuesday, 01 January 2013 01:51 | |
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar was his usual buoyant self last evening as he joined the nation in bidding farewell to 2012 with its mixed fortunes, and ringing in a new year pregnant with expectations and a certain joie de vivre in his traditional New Year’s address.
 President Donald Ramotar
“Fellow Guyanese, A Happy New Year to you all, wherever you are in Guyana and in the Diaspora. I hope that this New Year will bring more prosperity to you in all of your personal and professional endeavours. I urge you to re-commit yourselves to achieving all of your goals. “As we bid goodbye to the year 2012, it is customary to reflect on the year gone by. For us, it has been a year of challenges and also positive developments. In the face of a very serious economic crisis that has gripped the world, Guyana has performed well on the economic front. We have managed the economy very well, and have made progress in continuing to expand our economic base. “For 2012, we expect to record a GDP growth of about four (4) per cent, making this the seventh straight year that our economy has recorded growth. Our sustained, strong economic performance is an impressive achievement in light of the prevailing international economic situation. It shows that although we are a small, vulnerable economy, the policies we implemented have allowed our economy to be resilient to the external challenges that we face. “Let me express our thanks to all our people who have laboured to make this a reality. Looking to the social sectors, I want to particularly mention education. We have achieved universal primary education; we are well on our way to achieving universal secondary education, and more of our young people are accessing tertiary and university education than ever before. “Our children who wrote the CXC examinations have once more captured most of the awards given by the Caribbean Examination and Certification Board. Investing in the education of our young people is important for progress in our country to continue, and in this case, what we see is that our investment is paying off. I congratulate all our successful children, their parents, and, more importantly, their teachers. “The same positive results we see in education can be seen in other social sectors as health, housing and other areas which impact heavily on the lives of our people. In fact, we will begin the construction of a new specialty hospital that will provide tertiary health care of a high standard to our citizens. “Our housing programme has helped to fulfil the dreams of many to have their own homes. We will continue to seek more innovative ways to help more of our people to experience the security of having their own roof over their heads. “All of these achievements that I mentioned above were made in the face of a domestically difficult political environment. I had hoped that with the new configuration in Parliament, we would have had more cooperation and engagement. In fact, I was quite hopeful, and had mentioned in my swearing-in speech my willingness to work with the other political parties in parliament. “Unfortunately, this was not to be. Instead, what all of us have observed is that the National Assembly has been transformed into an arena where the main objective and obsession of the opposition are to score partisan political points counter to our national interests. It is now in such a state, that unconstitutional motions are being regularly taken to Parliament. “In defence of the rule of law and the Constitution, we have had to resort to going to the courts. In fact, it is these same misguided positions and actions that led to some citizens being harassed and abused in Agricola, and the unfortunate loss of lives in Linden. “Clearly, we need more dialogue and discussions in our society. History has shown that a nation’s all-round progress is always enhanced when honest debates, dialogue and compromise are the tools used in the body politic. “While the government has been willing, and has moved even more than halfway to meet the opposition and compromise, we have not seen that same willingness from the other sides. “I urge the collective opposition to reconsider its positions, and recommit itself to the betterment of our country and the lives of the citizens of our Guyana. “Again, I wish to state that this government’s position has not changed. I am willing to work with those who are serious and interested in the socio-economic development of this our land. “Looking ahead, this government remains committed to building a Guyana that is modern and prosperous, and provides opportunities for each and every one of our citizens to realise their legitimate aspirations. “This New Year, 2013, promises to be a very exciting year for us. We hope to carry forward the major projects, all of which have the potential to accelerate our growth rate. We intend to continue investing in our people. We are working to construct new schools in the interior to ensure that all of our children, no matter where they are, have a chance at secondary education. “This year, too, we expect our new fibre-optic cable to be operational, and that we would be able to extend its services right across our coastland and through our interior. It is our expectation that this will create IT jobs not only in the centre at Georgetown, but from Charity to Moleson Creek and into our interior. All of these initiatives will steadily advance towards a modern economy and society. “Sooner, rather than later in this year, we will complete the building in Region 5 to accommodate many persons who, for one reason or another, fell on difficult times and now are living on the streets. We hope that the new facility will give them back their dignity. We believe that everyone in our society, irrespective of their backgrounds, deserve another chance at building a successful life. After all, protecting the vulnerable is an important aspect of the humane and democratic society we are constructing. “This year, we will also be observing some important anniversaries in the history of our country. We will be observing the 250th anniversary of the Berbice Slave Uprising; the 175th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Guyana; and the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. “These anniversaries are significant to all Guyanese; they must be used to allow us to foster a greater understanding of ourselves, and a deeper appreciation for each other. These anniversaries can help us promote our uniqueness as a Guyanese people, and promote our Guyanese culture that has emerged and is enriched by all of our ethnicities, and the collective experiences of our people who have made this land their home. “My fellow Guyanese, we have a bright future to look forward to. On this New Year, I ask you to join with me on the journey of realising our common Guyanese dream of making this country of ours a peaceful, modern and prosperous society in which we realise fully our motto of ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, WITH ONE DESTINY. “Once more, A Happy New Year to you all!” | |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 January 2013 01:51 |
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