The festive season is almost over and Guyanese are now eagerly looking forward to the New Year of 2023 and beyond.

From all indications, it was quite an eventful holiday not only because of the festivity and glamour but, perhaps more importantly, because of the hope and optimism that now permeates the society that our better days are ahead of us. The fairy-lights will soon disappear but the glow and confidence of a better Guyana will continue to prevail.

For one thing, Guyanese were less constrained by the COVID-19 virus. The several entertainment hot-spots in the city and elsewhere were filled to capacity. The shopping malls and other business places were all patronised with shoppers trying to get the best value out of their money.

All of this is good for the economic health of the country. The increases in wages and salaries to public servants along with retroactive payments have given business and commerce and, by extension, the economy a significant boost.

This economic buoyancy, fuelled by higher levels of public sector spending, has impacted positively on the business sector. Two of the country’s top banking and beverages companies, as reflected in their most recent financial reports, have generated record profits for 2022. The same is generally true of other business enterprises regardless of their size or product range.

These developments speak to a new development paradigm which will see the country’s economic growth soar to even greater heights in the coming and ensuing years.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended Guyana’s significant economic growth despite the numerous challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the prolonged election impasse, the recent floods and the war in Ukraine.

The IDB also commended the PPP/C administration on the several interventions made to mitigate the cost of living and to bring relief to the Guyanese people especially the poor and the vulnerable.

The main ingredient for an enhanced quality of life is a strong and growing economy. A growing economy means that the national pie is getting bigger. And this is exactly the case of the Guyana economy, which is today not only growing, but is also now regarded as one of the fastest growing economy in the world. The economy was given a big boost with the impact of oil, but the non-oil sectors have also been showing strong growth. This combination of the oil and non-oil sectors holds out much hope for sustained economic growth.

But, as pointed out by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, economic growth, though necessary, is not a sufficient condition to ensure a fair and just society.

It is for this reason that the government has been implementing a number of pro-working class and pro-poor policies and programmes aimed at ensuring that people from all strata of society benefit from the growth dynamic. In the words of President Ali, there must be shared prosperity and not one in which there is “a rich country with poor people.”

This is indeed the time for optimism. And such optimism is by no means misplaced. It is manifested in the fact of robust economic growth and a people-centred PPP/C administration where the benefits of such growth are being shared by the whole of society; in rising income levels, in a better system of service delivery including education, health, housing, water and by no means least, in a democratic and rule-based society.

There are the pessimists in our society who are so blinded by hate and prejudice that they are unable or unwilling to see the dramatic changes that are taking place in the country. They continue to see the glass as being half-empty even though the facts suggest otherwise.