Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh says the continued support of development partners is critical as the administration pursues development at a rapid rate.
He made this statement at the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) consultation at the Guyana International Conference Centre.
There, he registered the government’s pleasure at the strong support given by the UN towards human capital development, while noting the positive development over the recent past, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
In his address to an audience that included government officials and members of the diplomatic corps, Singh said Guyana has made considerable progress in addressing development challenges and has moved from being bankrupt to having an economy that is now viable and viewed as credit worthy by the world at-large.
He added that the support from the UN family of agencies over the years was fundamental to the drafting and execution of a wide range programmes that have fostered development results.
Touching on the recent high food prices, which have plagued many countries in the past, Singh noted that Guyana has invested tremendously in the agriculture sector and is the reaping the benefits, particularly in the rice sector, which is currently enjoying strong external prices.
He added that on numerous fronts, government has spared no effort in establishing and strengthening the environment we require for long-term growth and development. “…we have continued to invest in people and have achieved significant gains,” he said, while adding that the administration is looking forward to the continued support of development partners to ensure that progress continues.
The consultation looked at UNDP’s new five-year Country Programme Action Plan (2012-2016) for agencies to identify ways in which they can join alliances for its implementation.
UNDP Resident Repre-sentative Khadija Musa was quoted as saying that the agency was pleased to continue to collaborate with the administration while the country is undergoing noteworthy changes.
“Guyana is experiencing significant changes in all sectors of the country, in addition the exploration of oil, if successful, will expand the development opportunities available to Guyana in the coming years,” she said.
The process of developing the Country Action Plan started in May 2010, when the UN initiated planning for successful implementation of the 2006-2011 United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), GINA said.
After consultations, the UNDAF was signed on August 10, 2011. It identified important areas for UN support in Guyana which are Inclusive Growth, Inclusive Governance, Human and Social Development and Environment and Sustainable Development.
GINA said the UNDP Country Programme provides assistance to Guyana that promotes poverty reduction and support inclusive growth strategies that target the most vulnerable groups in society. “A collective achievement of these goals contributes tangibly to the fourth pillar of the UNDAF which is human and social development.
The CPAP entails our broad intentions which we plan to take over the next five years. It takes into account what UNDP is able to do globally and our experience as a development partner in Guyana since 1977,” Musa said.
The CPAP Country programme will address areas such as Inclusive Growth and Governance and Environment and Sustainable Develop-ment. While strategic and acceleration plans for the development of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) will be developed, operational tools for the rights commissions and the Guyana Elections Commis-sion will also be addressed.
