Tuesday, 10th June, 2025
A quiet giant of national development
James Singh was no ordinary citizen. He was special. He was among Guyana’s most dedicated and committed public servants—a model of public service, and a professional in the finest of traditions:
- He embodied what it meant to serve without fanfare.
- He showed us what it meant to lead without boasting.
- He demonstrated how to achieve without seeking praise.
He was the kind of public servant who elevated the very meaning of public service. The kind who reminded us that excellence, integrity, and humility are not mutually exclusive but can dwell powerfully in a single life.
To the bereaved family of James Singh—his beloved wife, child, siblings, relatives, and dear friends—I extend, on behalf of the government and people of Guyana and on my own behalf, the nation’s eternal gratitude and our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy.
I join you today not just to mourn, but to honour, to reflect, and to give thanks for a life that was immensely meaningful, remarkably impactful, and generously lived in the service of others and his country.
I want the Singh’s family to know this: the passing of James is not simply a loss for you. It is a loss for an entire nation. Guyana weeps with you today. We grieve alongside you. Because what you have lost in a husband, a father, a brother, and a friend—we, the people of Guyana, have lost in a patriot, a steward, and a quiet giant of national development.
James Singh did not emerge from obscurity. He came from a lineage that has given this country nothing short of outstanding, distinguished, and selfless service. His family has long been known for offering professional and principled contributions to national life, always guided by a deep sense of duty rather than partisan persuasion. That tradition of integrity, dedication, and quiet excellence runs deep in his bloodline. And James followed in those footsteps—not as a mere follower, but as one who would blaze his own trail.
James Singh was, quite simply, the consummate professional. He was knowledgeable—possessing a grasp of forestry science that few could rival. He was competent, efficient, and thorough—always prepared, always on top of the details. But above all, James was reliable. You could count on him. You could trust his word. You could leave a matter in his hands and walk away knowing it would be done—and done right.
Yet what made him beloved, what made him respected across the broad spectrum of stakeholders—local and international, government and civil society—was his temperament. James was approachable, grounded, and humble. There was no air of superiority, no bravado, no unnecessary display. Just a man committed to his craft, to his mission, and to his country. And in that quiet strength, he wielded enormous influence.
We often celebrate the grand achievements of every era. The massive transformations. The sweeping reforms. The big ideas. But we sometimes forget the silent hands, the steady voices, the unsung architects whose dedication made those achievements possible.
James Singh was one such man.
But he was more than that. He was a stalwart, a stellar-like steward of our nation’s forests. A man whose contributions did not simply facilitate routine forestry administration—but helped shape the very foundations upon which our modern Low Carbon Development Strategy was built. Let it be said clearly, in this solemn moment of remembrance: James Singh was instrumental in helping Guyana transform its forests into a globally admired model of sustainability and national prosperity.
I repeat: James Singh was instrumental in helping Guyana transform its forests into a globally admired model of sustainability and national prosperity.
When today we speak of Guyana earning millions of dollars annually from the sale of jurisdictional carbon credits—we must remember that that system did not spring up overnight. It was built, layer by layer, through careful planning, rigorous governance, and credible systems. And James Singh was at the heart of it all.
One of the most critical tools in this transformation was the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) process—a Voluntary Partnership Agreement between Guyana and the European Union. Many may not know its full significance, but let me explain: this was not just about timber legality. It was about building credibility, ensuring governance, and establishing the rule of law in forest management. It required us to show the world that we had the systems, the checks and balances, the independent verification mechanisms, and the multi-stakeholder consensus to say: our forests are managed with integrity.
James Singh was the lead negotiator of that process. He guided the complex consultations. He liaised with international experts. And he did it with calm, poise, and clarity.
Because of the FLEGT-VPA, Guyana could say to the world: we are serious about legal, sustainable, and verifiable forest governance.
Because of it, our Low Carbon Development Strategy stood on firm ground—not as a wish list, but as a strategy backed by real systems and real results.
And because of it, carbon monetization became possible. Not in theory—but in real dollars that are today being reinvested in Amerindian development, biodiversity conservation, and renewable energy.
Without James Singh, none of this would have happened as it did. He was the invisible engine beneath the visible success.
And it is for this reason—this foundational role, this enabling leadership—that this country owes James Singh an enormous debt of gratitude. His legacy is not carved in marble, nor hung on banners. It is rooted in every standing tree, every protected acre, every payment for ecosystem services that Guyana now receives. It is embedded in the very breath of our forests.
My friends, when James Singh died, I said that a giant tree has fallen. And I meant it.
In our tropical landscape, where forests are dense and living things compete for space and light, every giant tree serves a purpose. It anchors the soil. It nurtures life around it. It connects the canopy. And when it falls, the void is felt not only in the space it occupied, but in all the lives it quietly supported.
That is what James Singh was to us—a towering presence whose value we often saw only in the outcomes, but not always in the labour, the sacrifice, and the excellence behind it.
You don’t replace a James Singh. You honour him. You build on the solid legacy he has left. You protect what he helped to build. You ensure that Guyana’s forests remain under wise, protective, and principled stewardship.
Because the best tribute we can pay to James is not to let his work falter. Let his vision live on in the policies we implement, in the governance we uphold, and in the standards we refuse to lower.
As we bid farewell to this good man, let us remember: his humility was his strength, his professionalism was his power, and his legacy is our responsibility.
May his spirit dwell in the breeze that moves through our canopies.
And may we, the living, stand taller, work harder, and serve better—because we walked in the shadow of James Singh.
Rest in Peace James. Your work here is done. It is now our job to take it forward.