Alliance For Change
Unlocking Guyana’s Potential
77 Hadfield & Breda Streets, Georgetown, Guyana
Telephone: 226-0181 email: alliance4changegy@yahoo.com website: www.afcguyana.com
For Immediate Release November 13, 2009
Georgetown, Guyana.
To All Media Houses
AFC Press Statement on Sustainable Development
The AFC notes that the PPP has put out many propaganda statements that the Party now supports the LCDS. The AFC is a proponent of protecting our environment, which is part of what the LCDS is all about. However the AFC will not compromise on a balanced approach to economic development and the paltry sums which the Government of Guyana has agreed to accept from Norway would not lead to balanced, sustainable development of Guyana. Further to ensure that the sums the government has agreed to now, and which , especially when the AFC is in government, would increase, the AFC advocates that any money that is received for protecting our forest be managed by parliament, with appropriate international oversight, and not the Office of the President.
We believe that our 2010 National Budget must address development for the next decade and not just fancy documents such as the LCDS.
- A national effort to reduce the dependence on foreign oil. We propose:
a. A national E10 policy where gasoline would have a 10% ethanol mix. This would save on gasoline imports into the future and create jobs in Guyana. The policy also will revitalize the Berbice and Demerara sugar estates. Current vehicles in Guyana would run on E10.
b. A need for a restriction on the type of vehicles imported into Guyana to only fuel efficient vehicles. There must be incentives for persons who want to import hybrid engine vehicles.
c. Maximum effort should be expended on the production of ethanol with technical support from the Brazilian public and private sectors. This should be linked to the study of the viability of importing vehicles into Guyana which can run on 85% Ethanol blend fuels
2. We must increase the use of bagasse for generating electricity for sale to the national grid.
3. There needs to be significant research into the use of non-sugar feedstocks for ethanol production and bio-fuels. This will save the coconut industry and the imports of diesel. It will also lead to new coconut plantations. (In addition, coconut could be used for many other agro-industrial purposes. It should be noted planting coconut trees could also claim carbon credits according to Kyoto agreements).
4 The AFC is not only pursuing an environmentally friendly policy, but a sustainable development policy which fully incorporates energy security and job creation.
5. The AFC proposes bringing in large multinationals for agro-processing in the intermediate savannah. The aim here is to simultaneously increase food production. The intermediate savannah should only be used for food production;
6. The AFC also advocates that in order to further promote renewable energy that certain items imported to facilitate the production of renewable energy be exempt from import duties.
7. The AFC supports building localized hydro-power plants that are directly tied in with production activities.
Our Economic Blueprint outlines other exciting opportunities for the people of Guyana and the creation of sustainable development and jobs.
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