…says country has made tremendous gains in social cohesion

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) on Tuesday hosted a National Symposium at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in observance of Guyana’s 60th Independence Anniversary under the theme: ‘Guyana at 60-unity, diversity, and the path forward.’ During his address to the gathering, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh highlighted the importance of the event in a uniquely diverse country, both in race and religion. “Guyana’s diversity is a source of tremendous strength for our country and a strength that we have every intention of leveraging, protecting and deploying for the collective national good,” he firmly stated.

Dr Singh further emphasised that Guyana must never be shy of celebrating and applauding the gains made in this regard as a country, the strengths derived from it, and the remarkable opportunities that this unlocks for its people. He focused on the Government’s commitment to equitable national transformation to ensure that the country’s unprecedented economic growth translates into direct benefits for citizens and is distributed equitably across every background and geographic region. He nevertheless reminded responsible political and civic leaders in the country that their unwavering duty is to actively separate rhetoric and soundbites from reality, acknowledging that while significant progress has been made, continuous effort is required to build a completely harmonious state. On this note, the Minister saluted the architects of the 2001 constitutional amendments, which gave rise to a number of important innovations in the Constitution that the Government inherited and subsequently enacted and updated, as he pointed to the importance of the Government’s establishment of the ERC.