GUYANA’S mature understanding of and adaptation to issues of global development today continues to surprise, even amaze, international observers; and it happens every time they get a real opportunity to hear and see the facts driving national and international policies here since 2020.

The latest occasion was last month’s Sixth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development in Santiago, Chile (April 25-28), when and where Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, both in terms of national policy and “our call to action by the international community.”

Demonstrating (to those who still don’t yet know) Guyana’s proper understanding of the nexus between national and international economic policies, the minister also outlined several achievements, under this administration, that have allowed the country to become one of the fastest-growing economies on the world stage.

These include: rebuilding and strengthening of key state institutions, bringing the nation back from the brink of bankruptcy, regaining fiscal solvency and sustainability, rebuilding and steadily improving public infrastructure and social services — and restoring its credibility as a destination for private investment.

The minister showed how Guyana has resumed and consolidated its place among democratic nations and called on the international community to recommit itself to those undertakings already agreed, “if we are to stand an even remote chance of achieving the lofty objectives of Agenda 2030.’

Addressing ‘Strategies to Advance Implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean’, Minister Singh highlighted two particular strategies to advance the national and sub-regional agenda in a manner fully consistent with Agenda 2030: Guyana’s leadership of CARICOM’s Food Security Agenda ‘25 by 2025’ (which seeks to reduce CARICOM’s Food Import Bill by 25 per cent by 2025) and its second-generation Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
He noted that in November 2022, Guyana issued the world’s first jurisdiction-scale, sovereign carbon credits 9 as the next phase in its creation of a global model for forest climate services) which drew a minimum payment of US $750 million between 2022 and 2032 — reinforcing Guyana’s very strong climate credentials (plus that, as an oil and gas producer, Guyana remains a net-carbon sink-well into the future).

Guyana subscribes to the view that the international system has failed the most-vulnerable countries of the world, but despite its challenges, we will continue to work towards meeting our objectives.

However, as the minister pointed out, notwithstanding Guyana’s relatively strong fiscal position, successful implementation of Agenda 2030 will require a level of investment that exceeds the still-limited fiscal resources available.

The challenge of financing sustainable development is further compounded when our inherent vulnerability — especially to climate change and other external shocks — is taken into account.

But from what the minister told his regional partners about what this PPP/C administration has done, is doing and plans to, development partners continue to feel assured that Guyana’s economy in good hands.

And, halfway through its five-year term, this government, led by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and the ruling alliance led by Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Anthony Philips, has rescued the country from the steep decline of 2015-2020 and is gaining from new admiration and support of fair-minded Guyanese of all walks of life –including former opponents who’ve come to personally experience the difference between what they heard and were told about how the PPP’s leadership operates and what they’ve seen and felt.

That Guyanese who genuinely love their country and their community are prepared to sink ethnic and partisan differences to support continuity of the progress they see and feel, speaks loud volumes about how Guyanese generally feel about the two choices they face in next month’s Local Government Elections (LGEs).

That the hapless opposition will resort to personally and physically attacking and assaulting ex-members who’ve democratically changed their minds and decided to put country first, insulting and treating them like garbage, is another loud indication that speaks volumes about the character of the current leadership of the opposition.

But the failure of the opposition (and others up to no good) to convince other than the blind abroad, or anyone living the reality at home, that Guyana is doing other than good – and better – is yet another indication (if one was needed) that the opposition has already been completely-rejected by Guyanese, even before the first vote is cast next month.