President Burnham laid foundation for economic independence – President Granger
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RINJZnXTb3U” width=”100%” height=”350″]
DPI, Guyana, Monday, August 6, 2018
President David Granger today said the policies of Guyana’s first Prime Minister and Executive President, the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham has allowed for economic independence.
Paying tribute to the late Executive President on his 33rd death anniversary at the Botanical Gardens this morning, President Granger said while political independence ended more than 350 years of colonialism in Guyana, it did not bring economic independence.
Political independence, for the former Executive President, was shallow unless it was strengthened by “sinews and substance” of economic independence, the Head of State said.
“Economic independence requires eradicating poverty, eliminating inequalities, expanding employment, empowering the poor and reshaping the education system,” the president said.
He added that the former leader paved the way with free education, building a number of educational institutes including the University of Guyana to provide free education for the post-independence generation. The then president also encouraged self-reliance to stimulate economic independence and generate employment.
“The founder leader’s policy of economic independence resulted in the expansion and renovation of aerodromes, bridges, highways and Stellings to ensure greater access to markets to boost riverain and hinterland Agriculture production,” he said, noting that they also laid the bases for expanding and extending electricity, telephone, transportation and water supply services to previously unserved communities and to improve productivity and the people’s quality of life.
“We, his heirs and successors, remember him with reverence. We recommit to continuing his efforts to achieve the goal of economic independence, which he so passionately pursued,” President Granger said.
The late President and Prime Minister Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham was born on February 20, 1923. He served Guyana as the first Prime Minister from 1964 to 1980 and as first Executive President from 1980 to 1985.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams SC., today described him as “a colossus of a man”. He was widely regarded one who fought for nationalism and encouraged Guyanese to manufacture and export more local products.
By: Alexis Rodney
Images: Jules Gibson