Region 2 economy slow, residents need to become self-sufficient – President

President David Granger has said that the slothfulness of the Region Two economy is not an issue to be addressed by his Government alone but rather, it will take a collective effort from everyone in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region.
The Head of State was at the time addressing residents during the commissioning of a spanking new 16-seater school bus in the Tapakuma community.
Alluding to the state of the region’s economy, the President said that residents living in the area need to make themselves more self-sufficient, rather than depending on government for everything. While he acknowledged that Region Two is the ‘Rice Bowl’ for Guyana, he encouraged the region’s farmers to add value to the rice crop through agro-processing. This he said can also be applied to other crops to jump start the economy.
“You need to do your budget at home, how you eat, how you spend, how you live, depend on the state of the economy; you need to participate towards the progress of the economy; if the economy strive then everyone will strive.”
Granger further encouraged the residents to establish cottage industries and to become entrepreneurs to earn a higher income, as opposed to depending on government for jobs.
He also called on parents to educate their children so that they can be better empowered in the future.
“You have pineapple galore here, canned the pineapple, export the fruits, make fruit juices and sell, there are fishes in the river, catch them and dry it, every single thing, be it fruits or vegetables, there is a market for it, don’t sit on your hands” the President urged.
He also encouraged young entrepreneurs to tap into available markets. These comment came on the heels of vendors’ complaints about the struggling economy.
Many of the region’s residents bemoaned the state of the economy due to the downturn in the rice industry. This, they explained, has caused a ripple effect since the main economic activity for Region Two is rice and currently rice farmers are receiving low prices.