Diaspora Council to be established – President Ali

-will harness investment potential, innovative ideas

The Government of Guyana is moving to establish a critical link with the diaspora in an effort to integrate overseas based Guyanese into the development plans of the country.

During a virtual panel discussion on GlobeSpan 24X7, held last evening, President Irfaan Ali reiterated his Government’s intention to harness the innovative ideas, and human resource capacity that reside in the diaspora, through the formation of a Diaspora Council.

“With the magnitude and scale of developmental opportunities that will take place, it requires a different mindset and I would like to see the diaspora coming together with their investment potential. It will be incredible if they come together and push for the opportunities that are ahead.”

The Head of State noted that while the impending opportunities are not only in the oil and gas sector; oil and gas will bring the needed revenue which will breathe life into new opportunities.

“This is where the diaspora has to play a key role in looking at these new opportunities, getting acquainted with opportunities and becoming involved, so that they can benefit from the opportunities. We at home also recognise the great potential that resides in the diaspora from a skills perspective, from an educational perspective, from experience. In laying out the platform moving forward, we have to integrate that potential of the diaspora as far as possible, ensuring that you are not viewed as Guyanese from afar but that you’re integrated in a development pathway… and that is the mechanism that we have to find.”

President Ali reiterated that the proposed institutional framework would bring this to fruition and will provide the necessary structure through which the diaspora is engaged. He assured the panel that the proposed council will be inclusive and will tap into individuals with “great leadership potential”.  

DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT

On this note, the President outlined the various pillars of development which make up his Government’s transformation agenda. These include economic transformation, political transformation, social transformation, environmental transformation and human transformation.

He pointed to the importance of the Government’s development plans and indicated that its ultimate goal is to create a better life for all.  

“At the end of the day, the development and the functionality of development, the output of development is really to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of people, the citizenry of our country and even in the diaspora. That is the ultimate aim of development; to create not only economic wealth but to create an environment in which human development is advanced.”

In order to create the enabling environment that will take the country into the future, President Ali said that his administration will work on fixing the current hindrance to development, such as lack of transformative infrastructure, modernised healthcare system and modernised education system among others. “These are all issues we have to tackle and deal with as we set up this agenda in moving our country forward, in improving the welfare and wellbeing of the people of our country.”