Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali deemed the Dominican Republic a pivotal ally that can help his country bridge many of its learning gaps and achieve progress that is on par with the developed world.
During a panel discussion at the United Caribbean Forum held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Georgetown this week, Ali highlighted the important role the Dominican Republic can play in Guyana’s development trajectory.
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“When you measure us against the global scale, Guyana is not where it is supposed to be. What do I mean? There is definitely a gap between where we are and where the best in the world is today. There is a technological gap, a human resource gap, a services gap, a bureaucracy gap, and a capability and capacity gap,” Ali said.
The CARICOM leader said his government has recognized these deficiencies, along with the fact that it must work against the clock to develop and monetize its oil resources as quickly as possible, given the global shift to clean energy.
In response to this unique circumstance, Ali said, “We are applying world-class technology, world-class methods, and best practices globally so that we can reduce the lag time for us to catch up with the rest of the world and take a lead position on many issues.”
Towards this end, Ali said he sees the Dominican Republic as a critical partner in bridging the identified gaps. He highlighted, for example, that the Spanish-speaking territory has tremendous capability in the areas of tourism and food production.
With respect to value-added food production, Ali said he believes the two nations can be a perfect fit, especially when one considers Guyana’s arable land, abundant fresh water, and booming aquaculture subsector. “So, if we are to merge this with the technology that exists in the Dominican Republic, then we can build a food ecosystem here that is second to none,” the Guyanese President said. He believes these are but a few of the areas that provide immense potential for critical synergies with Guyana’s latest development partner.
