46th Independence anniversary…Head of State plugs less divisiveness, more maturity

May 26, 2012 News

– touts village hubs for job creation

Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, has challenged Guyanese to set aside partisan interests for the greater good of the country.
In his maiden Independence Day speech to thousands of citizens at the traditional flag-raising celebrations at the National Park, the official announced plans to create village hubs as part of the country’s economic growth.
“We need to safeguard our freedoms, defend our democracy and allow the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our people to flourish. A great Guyana will not be measured only in terms of what we build and what we create but also in our character as a nation, including our ability and willingness to set aside narrow interests for the greater good of all Guyana,” he said.
The call would come at a time when the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has for the first time since seizing continuous power in 1992, not have a Parliamentary majority.
He stayed away from taking shots at the opposition APNU and AFC
Village hubs
Explaining the village concept, Ramotar said that it is important to create the conditions for the full participation of the people in the work of their own areas.
“Here I am not only speaking about municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic areas, but also of the village. We want to see every village, every nook and cranny having a vibrant economy. We will work toward breathing new life into our village economies so as to increase economic activities, provide jobs within villages for residents, promote inter-village economic exchanges and encourage the growth of businesses, large and small, including cottage industries.”
It is the hope that villages will become vibrant hubs of development, borrowing on the successful experiences and best practices of other countries.
“I believe that this revitalisation will help to reduce rural unemployment and poverty.
We have to make our communities safer and equipped to contribute to enhanced quality of life for residents. Improved quality of life cannot just be measured in terms of material possessions but must also address the need for recreation and the development of the artistic talents of everyone.”
According to the President, special attention will be paid to improving the physical well being of communities and to develop the skills and talents of residents.
“Through our e-learning programme, we eventually hope to develop a national database that would catalogue the various resources and skills available within all communities so as to allow for greater utilization of these skills. As we revitalize our communities we will be linking them through an improved road network system.”
Partnerships
He referred to the ongoing road works taking place on the East Bank and East Coast Demerara to create the four-lane highways.
Ramotar also plugged greater public/private partnerships. “We have seen this model successfully being implemented within the health sector where we have teamed up with private health care providers to offer specialty services.”
An example of this will be the specialty hospital planned for Turkeyen. “I envisage the day is not far off when Guyanese would no longer have to fly overseas to seek medical attention since all of the specialist health care services would be available locally. We can do this through partnerships that allow us to source the skills and expertise of foreign and local professionals in hospitals in which the government has a stake.”
Land, he said has already been identified.
“People for us come first and everything we do is intended to redound to the benefit of the people of this country. We are interested in ensuring the best for our people. But in order to do so we need to reduce the level of political animosity in our midst.”
He said the 2011 national elections have created new challenges to all the leaders of the country. “It is a time to show maturity and to put the interest of our country and our people ahead of narrow self-interests. No matter what side of the political divide we are on, let us remember that forty-six years ago we assumed the responsibility for our own development.”
He also repeated his commitment to work with those who are interested in moving the country forward. “I know that the people of Guyana would like to see less divisiveness. This was also the dream at independence and it remains today a major national aspiration.”

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46th Independence anniversary…Head of State plugs less divisiveness, more maturity

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