PRESIDENT Granger has proclaimed the next decade, “The Decade of Development” (DoD). This of course is premised on the re-election of his coalition to power at the upcoming general and regional elections. But it is the kind of vision that should be embraced by all, regardless of party affiliation. Critics of politics in Guyana and the wider Caribbean have bemoaned the lack of visionary governance in the Region over the last three to four decades. It is against that background that we welcome such overarching vision for Guyana, especially as the country enters the next era in its evolution.

As is well known, the country has been blighted by the curse of underdevelopment which intellectuals such as our own Dr Walter Rodney have defined as the opposite of development and they tie its evolution to development of countries in the North Atlantic. Underdevelopment is then linked to the centuries of socio-economic exploitation that have characterised much of our history. So, when President Granger articulates a developmental vision, he is directly and indirectly addressing the very structural transformation of the country.
The Decade of Development has four central components which we feel are pivotal to development in Guyana in the coming decade. The first component is development of the Petroleum State. This is premised on the new oil and gas economy which from all reports would improve the country’s economic fortunes in many ways. The Petroleum State would be the hub around which the extended economy revolves. As the President says: “Your government will ensure that petroleum revenues will be managed prudently for present and future generations in accordance with our objective of securing the ‘good life’ for all. We shall do this through a Natural Resource Fund which, as it stands, meets 21 of the 24 Santiago Principles with the other three principles to be met once the legislation comes into force.”

The second component of the DoD is the Green State which speaks to protection of the environment. This environment is directly linked to development. Often, countries find themselves having to choose between development and environmental protection. In our case the president has made it clear that Guyana shall strike a balance between the two.

According to him: “We shall intensify our commitment to: preventing pollution of our waterways, eliminating the importation of single-use plastics which contribute to clogging drainage systems, flooding and squalour, depleting aquatic life and contaminating creeks, rivers, freshwater and marine waters; combating the adverse impact of climate change and rising sea levels caused by global warming, which erodes our natural sea defence structures and protecting the mangrove forests which help to secure our shoreline and river banks from erosion; and strengthening forestry and mining laws to make re-forestation and land reclamations conditional for the approval of mining and logging concessions.”
The third component of the DoD is what the President refers to as the “Education Nation.” This situates education as a human right which should be afforded to all Guyanese regardless of differences. As is known, this has long been a pet area for President Granger, who has spent his first term crusading for improved education; now he has a chance to make good on his dream. He envisions an environment in which there is “ an education system in which every child attends, and graduates, from school; every eligible person is accorded free tertiary education at the University of Guyana; every teacher is trained and paid satisfactorily.”

Finally, the DoD includes a “Digital State” in which the country is brought in line with the technological age. Here again technology is directly linked to economic development. As President Granger says, his vision is for “a ‘digital state’ which will connect every region, neighbourhood, village, community and government agency, generate ICT services and make public services more accessible”

In the final analysis, the Decade of Development has to be read comprehensively. All four components are essential to the country’s macro-development. Each is linked to the other. As is the case of all development visions, the implementation is pivotal. Now that the ideas have been articulated, it is for the technocrats to implement. But before that, the voters must have their say—they will get that chance on March 2, 2020.