Critical Indicator
The service sector is the largest sector of the Guyana economy in more ways than one. It is made up of 11 different groups of activities and embraces almost everything of social and economic importance. Activities like transportation, storage, communication, information, distribution, health, education, electricity, water, real estate services, financial services, public service, safety and security are all part of the service sector. The service sector contains the elements (water, electricity, sanitation, health, education and social services) used to measure human development and the impact of public policy on Guyanese. With the inclusion of basic services like health, education, water and electricity, it should come as no surprise that the government is a heavy participant in the service sector. Much of its performance therefore is as much a consequence of government policy and investment as that of the private sector. Indeed, the government was responsible for about one-third of the output of the sector in 2011 while the private sector was responsible for the remaining two-thirds.
In 2011, the service sector continued to dominate the Guyana economy. It accounted for 62 percent of the economy’s output and has three (distributive trade, technology and transportation) of the four largest industries in the economy, and in which private sector investment is currently influential. Over the last five years, the output of