A RELATIVE of mine, who recently visited Guyana after over a decade, was high in praise for the professionalism of the staff at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
This is good for the image of Guyana especially at this time when the country is on the cusp of transformation and modernisation.

This transformative process is already evident on arrival at the new-look CJIA airport which now compares favourably with other airports in the region.
There is no doubt that Guyana’s is currently undergoing a massive infrastructural overhaul but such a development must also be buttressed by attitudinal changes on the part of Guyanese, among whom there must be a high degree of professionalism, respect for the rule of law and also the democratic norms of society and governance.

Guyana’s international profile as a country is changing thanks to our new status as an emerging oil and gas producing nation, but also as a result of our proactive role on the international stage.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C administration must be given credit for the enormous strides the country is making both from the perspective of good governance and raising our profile in the Caribbean and beyond.

As we observed CARICOM Day a few days ago, we need reflect on how stronger we are together as a member of the CARICOM family both in terms of the preservation of our democracy and our territorial integrity.
This is why attempts to damage our image as a rule-based society must be condemned. There can be no place for any display of hooliganism as recently observed on the East Coast of Demerara.

Yours respectfully,
Hydar Ally