UK assures Guyana of more HIPC debt relief support By Chamanlall Naipaul Guyana Chronicle
April 1, 2004
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THE Director General of Regional Programmes of the British Department For International Development (DFID), Ms. Nicola Brewer, has given the assurance that help to Guyana will continue, particularly in the improvement of the social sector and poverty reduction, acknowledging the completion of the agreement on debt relief to Guyana under the Highly Poor and Indebted Countries (HPIC) initiative will assist in the programme of poverty reduction.

Ms. Brewer who completed a three-day visit here yesterday at a press briefing last Tuesday said she was able to visit several communities in Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam) including Anna Regina, Pomona, Evergreen/Paradise and an Amerindian Community at Mainstay, as well as holding discussions with officials of the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

Head of the DFID Office in Guyana, Jonny Baxter explained that the reason for going to Region 2 was to attention to communities outside of Georgetown.

During her interactions, Ms. Brewer noted that several concerns and problems were voiced, these include the supply and quality of potable water, drainage, sea-defence and the world price of rice.

Ms. Brewer reiterated that bilateral aid to Guyana under DFID will continue with a slight reduction due to the situation in Iraq, while multilateral aid commitments would remain unaffected. She added that 90% of bilateral aid is disbursed to low income countries, noting that one of the encouraging developments is that the UK's aid budget is rising.

Head of DFID's Caribbean Office, Ms. Joanne Alston said the reduction of the aid budget to the Caribbean would be in the vicinity of two-three million pounds, but disclosed that under DFID's multilateral commitment to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) US$25M will be disbursed. She also assured its multilateral commitment to the European Community is in tact but was not in a position to provide figures.

Significant assistance will continue for the social sector particularly water supply education, land tenure regularisation, Ms. Brewer assured.

Responding to whether conditionalities for aid are imposed, Ms. Brewer said there are no laid down conditions but such matters are always resolved through dialogue between the governments of the two countries.

DFID support to Guyana is approximately 5.5 million pounds annually and has a strong public sector theme pursued across several areas which feature strongly in the Government of Guyana's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

This is complemented by technical assistance to capital market development and efforts to support the implementation of the communiqué signed between President Bharrat jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin, and improved security, working with government, civil society and other UK departments and internatio9nal partners.