TODAY, Budget Day 2021, sees Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, presenting the government’s comprehensive blueprint for improving the lives of Guyanese over this year and into the medium and long-term future. Every Guyanese everywhere eagerly anticipates today’s budget presentation with resounding optimism sweeping the Guyanese landscape, as the nation enters a new era of accelerated prosperity, monumental progress and democratic peace.
A sense of excitement is in the air as government lays out the path to the future.
Against the backdrop of the world fast undergoing major and far-reaching systematic and structural reforms as the global pandemic causes serious socioeconomic damage to every sector in the global village, the Guyana Government recognises and is fully cognisant of the fact that the international order is evolving into a new global society, and Guyana must position itself to play with strategic good sense in that new environment. This budget thus lays out not only the progressive domestic agenda for national growth and development, but also the vision and positioning of the country that is necessary to play a significant role in the world community of nations.

Having achieved the world’s respect as a full-fledged, functional democracy, this country now stands ready to ramp up its socioeconomic clout in the Caribbean and Americas as a major oil-and-gas producer on the world stage, and to raise the standard of living for its people to record new highs.
These are exciting times for the Guyanese nation. Instead of Minister Singh presenting the national budget in a state of fear or panic, given the frightening advent and stubborn staying power of the pandemic, Guyanese are in the positive position of having an exciting budget on its hands, looking forward to a future that is one of the more upbeat and morale-boosting in the world today.
Many countries are alarmed at the social and economic devastation that the pandemic would rout, with major global economies facing depression and recession. Not so for Guyana. Under the government of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), every sector is showing real signs of dynamic life and growth, with even the sugar industry promising to perform well in 2021.

One thing that generates this feeling of great optimism and positive, forward-looking agenda for the Guyanese nation as Budget 2021 is rolled out today is the big-thinking ambition and aggressive goals of the President Ali government. When the PPP/C first mentioned figures such as 50,000 jobs, 20,000 scholarships, and 10,000 house lots for Guyanese, the opposition and other small-thinking critics heaped scorn and disbelief on the promise, claiming that Guyana could never achieve those things. Now, having seen what this government could accomplish in just six months since taking over the reins of the state last year, the critics are silent, almost in awe. Budget 2021 follows along this vein, of setting the benchmark for national development high and lofty and way above anything that had ever been even conceived in this country before. This big-thinking way of President Ali’s government is inspiring Guyanese everywhere, to see their nation with new eyes, with new vision, with new possibilities.

As with previous budgets of the PPP/C governments, Budget 2021 incorporates a balanced, rounded approach to the task at hand, with strong programmes for social stability and taking care of the welfare of citizens, exciting policies for economic development, including to attract international investments and increase local business opportunities, and for technological progress through high-speed Internet across the country and real encouragement for a Guyanese digital landscape online.
Three factors shape today’s budget: the global pandemic and Guyana’s response to it in a way that rides the wave to come out victorious and with the population safe and healthy, through strategic health care measures; the impact of the oil-and-gas sector on national life, with the Wales gas-to-shore project promising to be a flagship turning point in energy provision to the society, which will accelerate industrial activity and ease electricity rates for Guyanese; and the big-thinking agenda of the government, with the set goal over the term of the government for those jobs, scholarships, and house lots to transform the national well-being.

Budget 2021 sets the stage for this five-year term of government to launch Guyana into a new realm of prosperity and progress, never before seen in this land. By the end of the term, Guyanese would see a dynamic society, way better than they know today, one that is on the path to real wealth, as a shining example of a well-developed democratic nation on the world scene, and a nation that is a mecca for providing a great livelihood for its people. Budget 2021 sets the agenda for this new future for Guyana, and today every Guyanese everywhere is excited, motivated, inspired, and full of optimism.
Everywhere in the world, Guyanese of the diaspora are watching their homeland with swelling hearts, many planning to engage with the new landscape that Budget 2021 is unfolding. For Guyanese, their time has arrived, and the voice of Minister Singh echoing cross the nation, at home and overseas, is a welcome sound of calm confidence that, this time, Guyana is achieving its dreams and ambitions.