…port development,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, trade underscored A sterling speech delivered on Friday evening by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, at the Shipping Association’s (SAG) annual awards and dinner, clearly reflected the importance, which the government has attached to theHis Excellency David Granger presenting Mr. Stephen Fraser with an award from the Shipping Association of Guyana,Jerseys From China, for his contribution to the Maritime Industry.transportation sector.President David Granger also graced the occasion at the Pegasus Hotel on Friday evening.SAG, on the occasion presented awards to Mr. Bernard Fernandes, Frankie Camacho,Authentic Jerseys Cheap, Clinton Williams and Desmond Sears, all for 25 years or more service to the shipping industry.The Chairman’s award for consistency in advocating for the development of the shipping industry went to Mr. Ivor English and the SAG Trustees awards for contribution to the Maritime Industry in relation to the Shipping Act of 1998 went to Dr. Barton Scotland and Mr. Stephen Fraser.Mr. Jordan congratulated the executives of SAG for their vibrancy and dynamism in representing the wide-ranging interests of the organisation’s constituents.Speaking to the issue of port development and its implications, the Minister said that Guyana, being a land of many waters, is remiss for its lack of greater use of maritime transportation as the dominant conduit for the flow of goods and passengers within borders and into and out of the country.“This absence is brought into sharp focus when one considers a country like Japan, for example, which can hardly claim to boast the water resources of our country, yet, in that country, seaports function as a lifeline.”In that country, the Minister said, the volume of international trade has grown steadily in recent years and the competition among seaports of neighbouring Asian countries has become intense in the international transportation market.Mr. Jordan said that it is his belief that there isn’t any serious debate about the relevance of ports in the context of Guyana’s national development.“Indeed, it is taken as a given, that the importance of these infrastructural facilities lies in their ability to provide a fast, safe and relatively cheap conduit for goods and people.”He added that some larger ports also serve as hubs for connection and transshipment, allowing cargo on different long-haul routes to be served more efficiently by several ships.The Minister spoke on the importance of trade to Guyana stating that since the beginning of the 1990s, inter-regional and intra- regional trade have gained extraordinary strength and importance in Guyana.“No doubt, underpinned by a conscious development strategy, imports and exports have significantly influenced the level of economic growth, employment,cheap nfl jerseys, the balance of payments and the country’s international reserves.”Minister Jordan said that in 2014 export of goods and services accounted for 43% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while imports as a percent of GDP was 66 %, both ratios attesting to the highly open nature of the economy,Wholesale Jerseys, and its dependence on trade for growth and development.He added that these ratios are projected to remain high in the medium to longer term, as investments in areas such as petroleum, bauxite, timber and gold begin to materialise.“A key area of economic policy discussion outlined in Guyana’s National Competitiveness Strategy Document is trade policy and export promotion with specific reference to the adequacy of ports to facilitate buoyant trade volumes.”Minister Jordan said the new government has a vision of comprehensive infrastructural connectivity and reform that would include aligning the maritime sector with international standards and best practices.To this end, dredging to create deep water channels will be undertaken, in addition to the maintenance of Guyana’s ports, harbours and rivers in an effort to make maritime transportation safe, less costly and more reliable.In concluding, he stated that trade is taking on heightened importance in the drive to grow the economy and in the development of the country and therefore, adequate infrastructure must be put in place to handle the higher volume of activities at Guyana’s ports.Failure to do so, he said, will continue to have a severe impact on the competitiveness of, and by extension, the economic performance of the country.“I want to applaud the Shipping Association of Guyana and its affiliated organisations for their contribution in bringing Port Georgetown in line with International Standards. I implore you to develop a coordinated framework that will ensure that Guyana’s port system can eff