– Statement of  His Excellency Brigadier David Granger President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana at a ceremony to commemorate the 33rd  death anniversary of President Forbes Burnham

Political  independence  ended  more than 350 years of colonial rule. It did not bring economic independence.

Political independence, for the Founder-leader, was hollow unless it was strengthened by the sinews and substance of economic independence.

Economic independence required eradicating poverty, eliminating inequalities, expanding employment, empowering the poor and reshaping the education system.

Our Founder-leader initiated a system of free education from nursery to university. He built community high schools, multilateral schools and technical institutes, opened the first campus of the University and established the Cyril Potter College of Education – all to provide the best education for the post-Independence generation.

Our Founder-leader encouraged self-reliance to stimulate economic independence and to generate employment by promoting agro-processing, small- and medium-sized enterprises to empower poor households and boosting village economies.

Our Founder-leader’s policy of economic independence resulted in the expansion and renovation of aerodromes, bridges, highways and stellings to ensure greater access to markets and to boost riverine, rural and hinterland agricultural production.

The   establishment   of   the   Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary   Agricultural   Development Authority and the enhancement of the Boeraserie, Black Bush Polder and Tapacuma Irrigation Projects measurably strengthened the country’s agrarian economy.

The Founder-leader’s policy of economic independence laid the bases for expanding and extending electricity, telephone, transportation and water supply services to previously un-served communities and to improve productivity and the people’s quality of life.

We, his heirs and successors, remember him with reverence. We recommit to continuing his efforts to achieve the goal of economic independence which he so passionately pursued.