A successful three-day visit to Guyana was concluded today and new President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Mr. Daniel Best departed Guyana following several developmental engagements with Government. The visit included the CDB President meeting with President Irfaan Ali for discussions this morning while yesterday Mr. Best and his team accompanied the Head of State and other Government Ministers to Region Two (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) on a tour of various project sites, during which two educational institutions were commissioned, namely the Exceptional Learners’ Centre a special education school at Cotton Field and the new Onderneeming Primary School. These facilities were both constructed as two of several partnership developmental projects between Government and the CDB.
The CDB President, who delivered remarks at the forum, said his heart is full as it was his immense joy to celebrate the opening of the two schools. He emphasised that the opening of the new learning centre for special needs children is a significant milestone of the Government of Guyana as he noted that education is a fundamental right.
Prior to opening the two new schools, Minister Dr. Ashni Singh and a team from the Ministry of Finance met with Mr. Best and his visiting team at the Finance Ministry on Tuesday, where discussions centred on how Government and the Bank could further their collaborative efforts on additional developmental projects in Guyana as the country accelerates its development agenda. Projects already in their implementation stages and their status were also referenced at the meeting, such as the Linden to Mabura Road and the Hospitality and Tourism Training Institute at Port Mourant, Berbice.
During the meeting Dr. Singh welcomed the President and his team on behalf of President Ali and congratulated him on his appointment. He also expressed appreciation for the CDB’s unwavering commitment to development partnership with Guyana and for making Guyana the first country he has visited since his appointment. He also noted that CDB President has been a strong friend to Guyana as he alluded to Guyana being a founding member of the bank and the bank has been a reliable partner.
“Now as we go through this period of transformation and we navigate this very different time in Guyana’s economic history, we look forward to the relationship with the CDB evolving and adapting accordingly. We intend to continue to be active shareholders in the Bank and we continue to look forward to the bank’s active support and partnership,” Dr. Singh added.
For his part, Mr. Best noted that Guyana had to be the first country he visited as President because when he examined the CDB’s Guyana portfolio, Guyana has a special place in terms of the diversity of project and in terms of the scale and of the direction that the economy is trending at this time.
He noted too that importantly, when the geo-political landscape is considered, Guyana has demonstrated that it is a friend of the Caribbean and the journey between Guyana and the CDB will continue as this is a time of boundless opportunities.
The objective of the CDB President and team’s visit was to reaffirm the CDB’s commitment to Guyana and to explore opportunities for expanded partnership in pursuit of national development goals. The visit also provided an opportunity for dialogue between the Bank and the Government of Guyana on the Government’s economic objectives and priorities and how CDB can continue to provide support for these through its assistance and lending programmes.
