HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Guyanese. As we embrace 2023, let us also reflect on the past year. Many of us have had a lot going on in 2022 and we survived. We pushed through and made it into a new year, in good health and strength.

The number of accidents and deaths we’ve had in the last year was enough to make anyone grateful for everything they have, whether it be a lot or a little.

Our new year’s resolutions should be about making ourselves better, yes, but we can make our society better as well.

We have a strong bond as Guyanese to rally together for things that may not be important at that point in time, so imagine what we can do when we form/ join groups to build, encourage others, and spread peace and prosperity throughout our land.

The year 2023 should be the year we get rid of the old habits of ignoring signs of domestic and gender-based violence, mental health issues, and drug use, and start a new trend where we empathise and encourage victims and users to seek help and get out as soon as possible.

No more should victims of violence roam around unsure of who they can call on for advice or assistance. Drug use shouldn’t be a norm. And mental health issues shouldn’t go unnoticed or untreated.

We need to build communities of strong young people who will look forward to living in a country that is safe to be in, where employment opportunities are available to everyone, and where good education and healthcare services can be accessed with ease.

This year will bring its own set of challenges for us all and we will need to take steps to ensure we survive and make it through this year.

The beginning of a new year always inspires a fresh sense of optimism and hope. Given how quickly our economic and social lives are changing, this optimism is not without foundation.

Never in the course of our history has there been such a tidal wave of revolutionary changes that have the ability to propel Guyana from a position of dependence and underdevelopment to one of lasting prosperity.

On the national and international level, Guyana is currently a significant player. Thanks to the diligent work of Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, it is the first nation in the world to benefit from carbon credits. The economy of Guyana is currently one of the fastest growing in the world.

This booming economy, fueled by increasing public sector spending, has had a good effect on the business community. According to their most recent financial reports, two of the major banking and beverage corporations in the nation have produced record profits for 2022. No matter how big or what kind of products they sell, other business firms generally operate in the same way.

These achievements point to a new paradigm for development that will propel the nation’s economic growth to unprecedented heights in the subsequent years.

Despite the severe difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the protracted election impasse, the recent floods, and the war in Ukraine, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has praised Guyana for its strong economic progress.

The key component for improving quality of life is a robust and expanding economy. An expanding economy translates into greater per capita development. And this is specifically the case with Guyana’s economy, which is currently not only expanding, but is also regarded as one of the economies in the world with the quickest growth rates.

Oil’s impact on the economy has been significant and this has been supplemented by non-oil sectors, which have also been expanding rapidly. There is a lot of optimism for long-term economic growth in this mix of the oil and non-oil sectors as we progress in this new year.