t ROOPNARINE]; Guyana Action Party or GAP [leader NA]; Guyana
Labor Party or GLP [leader NA]; People's National Congress or PNC
[Hugh Desmond HOYTE]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Janet
JAGEN]; Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; Working People's Alliance or WPA
[Rupert ROOPARNINE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Civil Liberties Action
Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO;
Rise, Organize and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; Trades Union Congress
or TUC

note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well
organized

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL

chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 265-6900

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Ronald D. GODARD

embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

telephone: [592] (2) 54900 through 54909, 57960 through 57969

FAX: [592] (2) 58497

Flag description: green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the
hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a
narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white
border between the yellow and the green

Guyana Economy

Economy - overview: Severe drought and political turmoil contributed
to Guyana's negative growth of -1.8% for 1998 following six straight
years of growth of 5% or better. Growth came back to a positive 1.8%
in 1999 and 3% in 2000. Underlying growth factors have included
expansion in the key agricultural and mining sectors, a more
favorable atmosphere for business initiative, a more realistic
exchange rate, a moderate inflation rate, and continued support by
international organizations. President JAGDEO, the former finance
minister, is taking steps to reform the economy, including drafting
an investment code and restructuring the inefficient and
unresponsive public sector. Problems include a shortage of skilled
labor and a de