US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, said as Guyana is preparing for the oil and gas sector, it is also equally important that it pays attention to the needs of the Private Sector.
During a recent interview at the US Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana, she explained that, “Guyana must look at the main things the private sector is interested in and those are security, stability and predictability and if Guyana focuses on those areas it will set itself up for success and we want to partner with the country to do that.”
In addition, she said, the US will continue to support the country on its path towards self-reliance.
The US envoy said, “We want to be with Guyana on its journey to self-reliance. It is a very important time for Guyana and we hope that Guyana continues to look for opportunities to diversify the economy to prepare the other sectors besides oil and gas that may see an optic in interest. It could be manufacturing or Information Technology, Agriculture or eco-tourism.”
It is against this backdrop that she explained that the US Government also stands ready to assist Guyana to plan, implement and finance its own development.
Ambassador Lynch also pointed to the importance of training for Guyanese to equally participate in the oil and gas sector.
She expressed the view that, “It would be important to identify gaps and work on those gaps and improve the capabilities. I would say specifically working with youths would be very important. I imagined that there would be many opportunities for youth to get involved in this new day and take part in shaping their country’s future.”
Meanwhile, the US Government has been working closely with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to provide expert training for its staff. The training is being facilitated by the Overseas Technical Assistance (OTA) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is also assisting the tax body to improve its auditing capabilities.
Lynch, who has replaced Perry Holloway, took up her post as the new US Ambassador to Guyana on March 8.
