President Bharrat Jagdeo says more aggressive approaches are needed in public administration to ensure that corruption is weeded out.

"Recent measures, including legislative changes, have served to enhance transparency and accountability in public administration," Jagdeo noted in his New Year's message which was to be televised to the nation last night.

But he says there are still some areas which require more aggressive approaches.

"We must develop a culture to respect one another. In government services, people must be treated with decorum and expeditiously. Public money and property must be used in the most efficient manner. Corruption and poor performance must be weeded out."

In his message the president said Guyana had been tested in the past year by an external economic environment that was characterised by global recession, diminishing development assistance and private capital flows to developing countries.

But even with falling international prices, a reduction in preferential access for exports, and the higher cost of fuel imports, he said sound macro-economic management of the economy remained one of the sacred principles of his administration. Further, he noted that the economy continued to grow in 2003 while foreign debt was reduced.

But he pointed out that economic progress must be buttressed by political stability and thus the importance of the ongoing national dialogue.

He said talks with the Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin had progressed well and many of the outstanding provisions in the reformed constitution had been implemented. This includes the establishment of the Public Service Commission (whose members took their oath of office on Tuesday), the Ethnic Relations Commission, and the implementation of changes to make parliament more effective and inclusive. He said the government remained committed to this process and will do everything possible to make every Guyanese a stakeholder.

Jagdeo said the crime situation was one of the challenges of the past year, one which still retained a high priority.

He said scarce resources had been diverted to law enforcement to combat the upsurge of new and violent crimes, which have also left the country with a bad image. It has also caused untold grief and suffering for many people to whom the President offered his sympathy.

But though there has been a recent lull in criminal violence, he considered that the country could not afford to be complacent. He assured that neither effort nor resource would be spared to tackle this problem.

Counting the successes of the year, Jagdeo said any unbiased observer would conclude that Guyana had done well in spite of the challenges.

"We have made significant progress in the social sectors by providing more and better health, housing, water and education facilities and services... We have opened up new opportunities in agriculture, fisheries, gold and diamond mining, forestry and non-traditional sectors.

"Let us hope that together, in the New Year, we can achieve more, individually, and as a nation. The opportunities are there. Let us use the achievement of the past as a springboard to reach greater heights."