Projecting that he will be re-elected in 2025, President Irfaan Ali on Friday said that the country will be exporting corn and soya by 2027 and he stressed the importance of digitization.
Speaking at the Canada–Guyana Chamber of Commerce Maple Leaf Ball at the Marriott Hotel, Ali spoke extensively about the future of Guyana and the importance of digitization. He asserted that Guyana in 2030 will be a country that will lead the world on climate security, be a part of every single major leadership table on energy security and hold a leadership position on food security.
According to the President, the next seven years will be spent positioning the country to ensure that the economy in 2030 and beyond is one that is sustainable, resilient, competitive, versatile, and well-diversified adding that it will not be an economy that is driven by oil and gas but rather supported by it, and where every other sector will be built based on its revenue stream.
Touching on the importance of developing the country’s products, Ali said, “We have to take the rawness of what we have here today apply the technology and innovation that exists in Canada, bring it together and work together on developing that competitive product.”
He told those gathered, that every company must be looking for international partners adding “That is the usefulness of these chambers… It allows that smooth connection and networking between companies here and companies in Canada.”
“You have to connect the right dots and create the right opportunities and that is what is going to propel the new era of opportunities to Guyana”, he stated.
Ali stressed that Guyana will no longer play “second team” as according to him in the next seven years the country is going to be built “ahead of our time.” He said, “We’re not going to play second team anymore. We’re going to apply the best technology now and work backwards in bringing the population up to that technology… We can’t speak about a viable and competitive future if we don’t speak about digitization, digitization of government services, and digitization in the private sector.”
Digitization
Ali then noted that it is clear that no company can survive in a business environment in the world of 2030 and beyond “if we don’t understand the role of digitization and what it means for business and transaction.”
According to him, the government has a role to play in driving this change. Stressing that it is the environment that creates action, Ali said, “Change in mindset, change in way of doing things… Some people say you know it takes time but guess what? Look at your own house, look at some of our grandparents who never went to school, give them a smart device and you will be astonished to see what they can do on that device. Look at a child, three years old, my four-year-old teaches me everything.”
As such, he added that the environment must be backed by a legislative mechanism that drives the change noting that that is why all of the legislation is being modernized. “We want to set up a country that is known for innovation not only in the production of food… Attaching a social value that creates higher value. Looking at specialized production, and organics, analyzing the market, and investing in the technology, and infrastructure that will place us in that market”, he said.
Furthermore, the President disclosed that by the end of this year, Guyana will produce ginger far in excess of the country’s national demand adding that by 2025 the country will produce all of its grains locally, “corn and soya by 2027 will be exporting.”
Given this, he said that in 2030 businesses must be supported by a strong technological platform. “A platform that is driven and supported by technology that is ahead of our time. Our educational services, our health services, food production… The production of pharmaceuticals moving into stem cells, having a stem cell industry fully developed, robotics, AI that is the innovative platform that will drive Guyana”, he declared.
Ali also touched on the importance of developing the tourism sector.
