The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, being offered by the Government of India to the people of Guyana, is well in place to help in the development of the country’s human capital.
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam
Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Reginald Brotherson on Friday said that the programme has been significant in this regard. He was at the time speaking on behalf of Public Service Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, at a luncheon held by the Indian High Commission to commemorate the programme’s 54th anniversary. The event was held at the Aagman Restaurant, in Georgetown.
“Human capital can be increased by education and training and ITEC is instrumental in allowing us to enhance our human resource development,” Brotherson told the gathering of Government Ministers and members of the diplomatic community.
He underscored the critical role played by the Public Service Ministry in ensuring that training and developmental plans are actualised when offered by the Indian High Commission. He noted that there are some 35 areas that are allotted to Guyana. These are utilised by officers of some 30 public service agencies.
The programmes, he said, are in keeping with Government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and the National Development Agenda. As part of the Employee Learning and Development Plan, the ITEC courses are also used to aid in personal and professional programmes.
The ITEC programme was initiated by the Government of India and has several components, including training in the fields of hydrology, engineering, cyber technology, management, education, agriculture, horticulture, banking and financial services, environment protection, public and management. The programme has seen over 500 Guyanese benefiting.
Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam said the ITEC programme is just one of the many collaborations his country has with Guyana.
“Guyana is an important partner for India in the area of development partnership cooperation with Guyana it is purely driven by… We may proudly say that more than 500 Guyanese have been trained in the ITEC scheme,” he said.
Under the ITEC programme, India has partnered with countries including Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil and Chile among others. It offers over 280 courses in 47 institutions in India, in a diverse range of areas. Its objective of developmental assistance and capacity building is realised through innovative and technical collaboration.
