IN just over two weeks, we will usher in a new year. While we celebrate with family and friends at social gatherings or in the comfort of our homes, it is important for us to reflect on how good 2023 has been to Guyanese. There have been a few challenging moments, but we must not let those engulf us and overshadow the good things that have happened and are continuing to happen.
The last few weeks have been very difficult for every citizen of this great land, both at home and abroad. Two incidents/matters in particular have dominated our airways and are regular subjects of conversations.

The first involves our neighbours to the west, who continue to test our resilience and unity. So far, we have bonded together in prayer and the performing arts, reflecting our national motto: One People, One Nation, One Destiny. We have not allowed the fear of Nicholas Maduro’s brazen treats to overwhelm us.

With regard to the second matter, many are still coming to grips with it. Five servicemen were killed when the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) helicopter they were in crashed in Guyana’s interior. At the time, the quintet and two others were heading to an area near the Guyana-Venezuela border where army troops are based. They must always be remembered for their fearlessness and their willingness to stand up and serve their country despite threats to our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Throughout the year, the PPP/C government has delivered on its promise to transform Guyana into one that all Guyanese will be proud of.

This transformation is not something that can occur overnight, but after three years in office, the progress made towards this goal is commendable.

During 2023, development has occurred across all sectors. Of worthy mention are health, public infrastructure and education.

In addition to boosting the human resource capacity of the health sector, the government has focused heavily on delivering quality healthcare to the nation. Modern pieces of equipment have been installed, a number of health facilities have been rehabilitated, built, or are in the process of being built, and several programmes have been rolled out to bridge the gap between the coastland and the hinterland and to upskill health professionals.

In terms of public infrastructure, new roads have been constructed and hundreds have been rehabilitated. The Heroes Highway is an important thoroughfare along the East Bank corridor. With the opening up of hundreds of acres of land for housing and commercial purposes, an alternative to the East Bank roadway was needed. The East Bank to East Coast road linkage project and the Linden to Lethem road are also an important part of the government’s infrastructural plans and when complete, will make commuting for thousands of Guyanese less stressful.

The advancements made in the education sector this year have been enormous. The government has invested heavily in education and has repeatedly said that is one of its priority areas. Construction of several schools has already started and is on schedule to be completed in 2024. Next year, two more, one at Prospect in Region Four and another at Orealla in Region Six, will be built. CPCE recently graduated its largest batch of teachers, which is evidence of the desire of many to take on the role of educating the nation. There are many other developments that have taken place in this sector, but they are too numerous to mention.

Despite the large amount of money that had to be pumped into the development of the nation, the government still ensured that the public servants got a salary increase this year.

It is expected that in 2024, there will be more successes and further improvements to the lives of Guyanese.