Guyanese in Barbados attend independence worship Sunday,
May 26. Photo by George Alleyne
A Guyanese clarion call
Caribbean L 16 ife, May 31–June 6, 2019 BQ
PATIENTS’
CHOICE
RATED & AWARDED BY PATIENTS
SM
By George Alleyne
Guyanese in Barbados, as
are those who emigrated and
became resident elsewhere, are
now being forced to weigh their
options of returning to the land
of their birth in response to a
growing skill need and be part
of the oil-spurred development,
or remain in their adopted lands
while others fill the gap.
So it was that when scores
of Guyanese in Barbados got
together in worship to observe
the 53rd anniversary of their
country’s political independence
Sunday, their Consul General
in the island, Cita Pilgrim, lay
before them the call of the land
for skills they possess which are
either already, or will soon , be
badly needed.
“This most exciting time of
our development,” she said to
the congregation in the Cathedral
of St. Michael and All Angels
in downtown Bridgetown.
Placing this excitement
in context, she noted that at
the time of her independence
message last year the estimate
was for the country producing
500,000 barrels of oil per day in
2020 but that has now moved up
to 750,000 barrels per day.
Pointing out that economic
momentum towards Guyana’s
first extraction is building, Pilgrim
reflected that the country’s
economic growth in 2018 was
registered at 4.1 percent and
noted that it is projected to 4.6
percent this year.
She said that the growth “is
owed in part to increased construction
activity as preparation
for the new oil and gas sector is
being undertaken.”
“Our country will see progress
such as our region never experienced
before, and which will be
fuelled by the development of the
oil and gas industry,” the Consul
General said as she stressed that
the important industries of agriculture
and mining will continue
to receive priority despite the
expected oil-boom.
Pilgrim, however said, “we are
not without challenges. There is
much need for skills in every area
of endeavour and wide-ranging
overseas agencies are looking
at ways in which they can be
part of the development.”
Here she alerted Guyanese
to possible opportunities in the
land of their birth, “this is the
time when Guyanese may wish
to examine their options as
there is much to achieve and a
bright future ahead”.
The Guyana consul general
in Barbados’ appeal to her compatriots
comes against the backdrop
of the state-owned newspaper
in her country, Chronicle,
reporting last weekend, “U.S. oil
giant, ExxonMobil, has made
13 oil discoveries to date offshore
Guyana in the Stabroek
Block. With well over 5.5 billion
oil-equivalent barrels in the
Stabroek Block, production is
expected to commence in March
2020. The developments in Guyana’s
budding oil-and-gas sector
augur well for the country with
a population of approximately
750,000 people, observers have
said.”
In his independence day message,
President of Guyana, David
Granger, spoke of the need for
all to be involved in the coming
developments for the benefit
of future generations, “the
commencement of petroleum
production next year, and the
transition towards becoming
a ‘green’ state, will increase
economic growth and provide
greater resources for development.
The future belongs to
young people.”
As Guyanese abroad are urged
to return, the president assured
that their offspring will become
immersed into a stream of youth
development.
“Young people can be assured
of greater opportunities as a
result of oil production and the
policies of the Guyana Green
State Development Strategy.
“A nation in which young
people are united, educated,
trained, safe, happy, healthy and
integrally involved in the decision
making processes, while
enjoying equality of opportunity
and equal access to the resources
of our country and are politically,
economically and socially
empowered.”
Guyana Consul General in
Barbados, Cita Pilgrim.
Photo by George Alleyne