Advancing a concept for village development

By Rawle Lucas On In Business |
LUCAS STOCK INDEX The LSI fell on the decline in the stock price of the two largest companies making up the index. The stock price of Banks DIH (DIH) fell four percent while that of Republic Bank (RBL) fell over four and a half percent. The relatively small weight of the stocks of Sterling Products Limited (SPL) was insufficient to move the index in a positive direction, even though its value increased over 15 percent on trading this week. The three other stocks, Demerara Bank Limited (DBL), Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) that traded in the week provided no help since they all recorded no change in value. As a result, the spread between the index and the risk-free Treasuries due to mature in December 2011 fell below 15 percentage points.
LUCAS STOCK INDEX The LSI fell on the decline in the stock price of the two largest companies making up the index. The stock price of Banks DIH (DIH) fell four percent while that of Republic Bank (RBL) fell over four and a half percent. The relatively small weight of the stocks of Sterling Products Limited (SPL) was insufficient to move the index in a positive direction, even though its value increased over 15 percent on trading this week. The three other stocks, Demerara Bank Limited (DBL), Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) that traded in the week provided no help since they all recorded no change in value. As a result, the spread between the index and the risk-free Treasuries due to mature in December 2011 fell below 15 percentage points.

Budding Relationship

In this the third discussion about the village of Victoria, one of the many rural communities facing grave economic and social challenges, an effort is made to highlight a few issues aimed at promoting and solidifying its development.  Key to the effort is finding ways to take advantage of the core competencies of the village to enhance its productive value and enrich the lives of its residents.  This will be the challenge of the Indaba (conference) this year as it seeks to advance the provisions of the Petition which was unanimously adopted by the National Assembly earlier in the year.  Work in this area will begin once the implementing mechanisms have been put in place that would allow the village to leverage its budding relationship with both private and public sector institutions.  While the substantive aspects of the Petition represent one area of focus, Victoria must confront the structural challenges lying in its path.

Major constraints

Based on currently available data, the unemployment rate in Victoria is estimated at about 40 pe rcent.  Victoria shares a fate similar to every other part of Guyana.  Ever since 2005, household expenditures tend to exceed household income in the