Against the backdrop of recent statements that Guyana is losing more than US$1 trillion invested in graduates who often seek greener pastures, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton believes the root cause may be the lack of opportunities for development here. He contends that this has driven many people away from Guyana.
Norton said the solution must be centred on creating more opportunities for further educational enhancement as well as a better paying job market. Norton shared the foregoing perspectives during a special press conference hosted today.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG) Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, said yesterday, during the institution’s second diaspora conference, that the extent of the loss of human resource is alarming. She highlighted the fact that many graduates who migrated within the last five years have given meaningful contributions to other nations.
However, when asked by Guyana Standard about the Opposition’s own strategy to tackle this issue, Norton explained that graduates of the University of Guyana must be used to develop strategies that will help in the overall development of Guyana. He noted too that this can be done by way of “research”, that can aid in the development of different sectors.
“We also believe that once we implement our people centered development it will in fact result in more income in the pockets of our people… We also will look at our living income strategies that will encourage people to stay in Guyana. We also need to do a proper survey of the jobs that are needed in Guyana and ensure that the University is structured to satisfy those jobs so that when people leave the University, there are jobs that are available that can suit those demands,” Norton expounded.
He further noted that apart from making sure there is a structured approach to the issue of migration, he said there is also a need for “hope”. Norton said, “People must have hope that the society will turn around and that they can live in a safe environment. One of the things that pushes migration is the continuous violation of the rule of law. We will promote democracy.”
According to a UN index report, the current net migration rate for Guyana in 2023 is -6.283 per 1000 population, which represents a 4.38% decline from 2022.