Guyana has lived up to expectations in the aspects of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) of which it was a signatory, and has taken the lead in the Caribbean region in the area of implementation.
This was the view of Latin America and the Caribbean and European Commission Directorate of Development and Cooperation Jolita Butkeviciene, who is in Guyana on a mission to assess the country’s cooperation with the European Union (EU).
President Donald Ramotar speaking with Latin America and the Caribbean and European Commission Directorate of Development and Cooperation Jolita Butkeviciene, and other officials of the European Union. At left is head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon
Accompanied by head of the EU Delegation to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecký and other officials, Butkeviciene met President Donald Ramotar on Monday at the Office of the President, prior to other scheduled engagements with other officials in the government, the opposition, Parliament and the private sector.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, with focus on sea defence, poverty reduction, competitiveness in the sugar industry and improving social services, Butkeviciene is expected to culminate her visit with a determination of the future of the EU’s development efforts in Guyana. Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Butkeviciene acknowledged that Guyana’s views on the EPA were well represented in the process of the negotiations, and there is evidence of the country benefit ting from the deal signed.
Butkeviciene said Guyana benefits from a “big” trade surplus with the EU, in which 18 per cent of trade are imports and 30 per cent, are exports to the EU. She disclosed that there is 75 million euros ready for disbursement in line with priorities of the Guyana government.
The meeting with President Ramotar also focused on poverty reduction, and can be regarded as meaningful, said Butkeviciene, who acknowledged President Ramotar’s sensitivity to the needs of the populace.
In the lead up to the agreement of 2008, former President Bharrat Jagdeo had proposed a mandatory review of the EPA five years after it was signed, and every five years thereafter, and a guarantee that in the event of conflict between the agreement and the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), during implementation of the EPA, the treaty shall prevail.
With Jagdeo’s consistency, before the initial signing of the agreement, the EU acceded with the inclusion of two clauses for which he lobbied for, and Guyana signed the EPA on October 21, 2008 in Brussels.
The EPA seeks to create a Free Trade Area (FTA) between the EU and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, which emanated after the Lome Convention failed to live up to expectations.
