ECLAC unveils growth proposal…By Abena RockcliffeGuyana is slated to buy into the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)’s proposal for growth in Latin America and the Caribbean as stated in its latest publication titled “Structural change for equality, an integrated approach to development.”As the document was launched for the first time in the Caribbean yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, President Donald Ramotar expressed that he thinks his government is “on the right path” as it invests in structural change and by extension human development since “investing here is really investing in development and investing in our future”.Structural change, according to ECLAC,? means implementing qualitative transformations in the production structure of the region’s countries, in order to strengthen knowledge-intensive sectors and rapid growth in external and internal demand, thereby increasing the number and quality of jobs, boosted by new technology paradigms.President Donald RamotarRamotar stated that Guyana can identify easily with the theme of the publication. “This is so because much of what we have achieved over the last two decades had to do with making important structural changes.”The president said that an important feature is the high degree of uncertainty and volatility that exists in national and economic relations. New issues, he said,Cheap Jerseys From China, have forced themselves on our stage such as climate change, questions of food security and decline of preferential markets and transnational crime,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, as he mentioned a few issues faced by his government “as we try to go forward.”Notwithstanding, the president said “these challenges must always see us examining and re-examining our policies and being ready to make changes as the situation demands.”In this regard, Ramotar acknowledged that ECLAC has done excellent work in the Caribbean to help countries keep focused on the most import aspects of development.“We always argued that it is impossible for us to have sustained economic and social development unless we have a strong democracy and that is one of the things that have been central in our activities, constantly trying to strengthen our democracy to deepen it and to try to make it irreversible. We have also done a lot in trying to prepare and strengthen our institutions… a lot of our work, early on, and even now we continue to try to strengthen institutions in our country and to establish the legislative framework for these changes and keeping the structural changes in place.”This,CHeap NFL Jerseys China, he said,Cheap Air Max 270, is particularly true, as it relates to issues of protecting fundamental human rights and privileges.“These move to the core of providing equal opportunities to the most vulnerable in Guyanese society. I will say with some satisfaction that we are succeeding, our economy is now broadening out from the three pillars that it has historically, and as has been seen over the last few years, we have managed to minimize the effects of the international financial and economic crises that have affected so many in the world.”Ramotar said that the aforementioned is very important, as when an economy begins to slow it is the ordinary people, the poor, who suffer the most.He pointed out that the budget has seen a major shift in emphasis as its focus is no longer on administration, but on strengthening human capital.“We spent 30 percent of our budget on the social sector.”He stressed that the weapon to fight against poverty and equality is education.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, noted that Latin America and the Caribbean as a group has recorded the fastest average growth in the last decade and resisted the effects of the global financial and economic crises better than other regions of the world.She said that there have been various viewpoints on the reason for this progress; for example progressive social equality, aimed at the poor investment in education, democratization, market policies and “some even say that it is the particular ideology of most of the governments elected during that period that resulted in the progress.”What is clear, she noted, is that there has been a paradigm shift from the last 30 years.ECLAC Director, Diane QuarlessEquality,Nike Air Max 1 From China, she noted, is part of the policy all over the world especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.? According to the Minister, Guyana is not an exception “we have recorded positive growth for most of the last decade. Reduced poverty, increased active peer education and improved infrastructure.”Notwithstanding these developments, Rodrigues-Birkett made kno