On the occasion of Portuguese Arrival Day, the Honorary Consul of Portugal, Michael Correia Jr, yesterday asked President David Granger to consider as a political priority a more comprehensive reform of Guyana’s local government system.
Correia did not state what this “comprehensive reform” would entail but pointed to the decaying City Hall as a “stark reminder of just how dysfunctional our local government system is.”
“We celebrate our Guyanese Portuguese today, and accept their heritage as a critical part of our own Guyanese heritage. But as I look around at our wooden heritage buildings in what was a lush and beautiful Garden City of Georgetown, my heart sinks when I stop in front of City Hall and stare in astonishment at a building that is in such a state of decay that it looks as though it could fall down at any moment,” he told those gathered in the compound of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church for the second annual Portuguese Arrival Day ceremony.
The event was organised by the Department of Social Cohesion.
Correia also referenced then British Colonial Secretary Duncan Sandys, who before Guyana’s independence noted that there was no deep-rooted or historical enmity between the races, and that all Guyana’s troubles are rooted entirely in the development of party politics along racial lines.
Correia in turn questioned political leaders to answer whether this observation does not still hold true today and asked if this will continue to hold Guyana back from truly realising its national destiny.
President David Granger, who delivered the feature address, noted that Guyana’s economy has been made stronger and its culture richer for the contributions of the Portuguese.
“The Portuguese, though a demographic minority, and by making the most of the opportunities with which they were provided, ensured that their contributions remain indelible up to this day,” he said, before adding that the Portuguese presence in Guyana has provided many useful lessons for the present and future generations.
Granger added that the experience of indigent, indentured immigrants, making the most of their opportunities, is instructive as Guyana aims now to create a more sustainable management of its economic resources and to provide a good life for everyone. He noted that persons who identified themselves as Portuguese in the 2012 census only numbered 1,910 or 0.26 per cent of the population. “The Portuguese, though a demographic minority, and by making the most of the opportunities with which they were provided, ensured that their contributions remain indelible up to this day. Guyana’s economy has been made stronger and its culture richer for their contributions,” he said.
