President Granger engages Guyanese diaspora in The Bahamas

President David Granger has engaged the Guyanese diaspora in The Bahamas – where he is currently on a state visit – and has urged them to invest in their country of birth, particularly in the areas of ‘green’ tourism, education, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

In delivering remarks at a reception held in honour of his visit by the Guyana Bahamas Association on Thursday, the President said Guyana has a bright future, especially given its pursuit of a ‘green’ economy and the discovery of oil; and that Guyanese, particularly those in the diaspora, can take advantage of the opportunities presented and invest in the country. “…we are also bent on creating a more entrepreneurial society, and here we have to come to The Bahamas to make entrepreneurship work. Guyana is on the way to becoming a ‘green’ state, and I hope that those of you who are here, if you wish to do so, invest in Guyana.”

President Granger moving around, meeting and greeting attendees at the reception
President Granger moving around, meeting and greeting attendees at the reception

He urged for the setting up of tourist companies in order to help the investment in Guyana, and added that the development of information technology in Guyana would teach our children to move quickly into the 21st century of education. “To develop infrastructure, so that we can be able to access some of these areas where we have our tourism potential and product, we need roads and highways and bridges, and what we call ‘stellings’,” the President said.

The President promised to ensure that Guyana becomes a thriving hub in the Caribbean region, and a place where a good life similar to what is enjoyed by other Caribbean nationals is provided for every citizen. Noting that the present administration, since its assumption to office, has been working to ensure that equality, particularly in the area of education, is achieved, the President said that cooperation and collaboration between the Government and the diaspora in this area can only serve to make the country better. In this regard, the President thanked the Guyana- Bahamas Association for its support to the ‘Boats, Buses, Bicycles plus Books and Breakfast’ (Five B’s) Programme, which is aimed at removing the barriers to the access to education.

Describing his visit to The Bahamas as an economic mission, the President said that with the anticipated developments in Guyana, Government is looking to strengthen its investment potential and to establish trade and commerce in areas outside of the traditional gold, diamond, sugar, timber and bauxite industries.

“Bahamas is one of the highest per capita countries in the Caribbean community, and we are here to learn how you did that; because we feel that the resources we have in Guyana, although they have served us well for the last century, some of the countries don’t have these resources, but they have come out to be richer than Guyana. We now have to not only make greater use of those profits of those resources, but we have to diversify. By the time you come home, you will probably hear that Guyana is producing petroleum; and as Eric Williams once said: “Oil don’t spoil”. But if we don’t manage it properly it can spoil us, and we don’t want to be spoilt. We have embarked on a programme to make Guyana a green state; we are creating a green state in terms of our environment,” he said.

Referring to the tragic death of Marisha Asha Bowen, who was found dead in her Nassau, Bahamas apartment on September 9, 2016 with multiple stab wounds, the President said that such violence is not typical of The Bahamas, and he urged the Guyanese who live and work in The Bahamas to continue to be good citizens of that country.

Meanwhile, the President of the Guyana Bahamas Association has said that that organisation can become a link between the two countries, to ensure the transfer of skills, expertise and knowledge between Bahamians and Guyanese, and foster greater cooperation between the two nations. The Guyana Bahamas Association was established in Nassau on March 30th 1996. This event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahamas, Philip E. Brave, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Fredrick Mitchell.