THE Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) on Friday, December 29, 2023 held its annual awards ceremony to honour the invaluable contributions of its employees across departments.

Christmas, New Year and other holiday season events also turn out to be celebratory appreciation events for the hard work staff put in through January to December, in our case to ensure the nation’s longest-lasting daily newspaper continues in its time-honoured tradition of being available every morning.

Indeed, General Manager Moshamie Ramotar commended all workers on the successful year the company had, underscoring that this ceremony served as “a testimony to the hard work and dedication of the employees” and to pay tribute to their “exceptional efforts and contributions” during 2023.

The GM noted their “hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed” and predicted that “2024 will be bigger and better for the company”, while calling for “the spirit of teamwork, togetherness and dedication to continue being the driving force of the company.”

Director Harry Gill made the sober observation that “despite previous subpar management”, the company is “still raising its head above the waters” – as seen during the year ending, during when staff were summoned to the usual calls of duty and each time responded in ways deserving of recognition during the last week of the year.
From the former ‘Guiana Graphic’ to today’s Guyana Chronicle, this newspaper has ridden the waves and tides of time to adjust to different realities — from its private colonial ownership to its current long and distinguished existence as a state-owned national media house that’s also had to adjust to national political realities while earning related respect and contributing its own income.

Like any ship at sea, we’ve been guided by the captains and helmsmen at the tillers of time, but more so by the essential contributions of every worker with a role in ensuring the wheels of production keep turning every day and night, over decades.

Those awarded highlight, among other things, our acknowledgement of the contributors to the transition from mainstream newspaper publishing to also including an overwhelming online content that globalises Guyana, as with every major national event from January to December, especially the need to ensure Guyana’s position on Venezuela’s claim to more than half of our homeland reaches Guyanese, Caribbean people and world citizens.

In the past year too, no issue of the Guyana Chronicle has been without news of new developments being announced by the government that benefit the entire nation, especially as it continues managing the new national revenues in ways that will ensure sustainability of Guyana’s ability to continue to put its new wealth to work for the benefit of all Guyanese.

The last quarter of 2023 again tapped the resourcefulness of The Guyana Chronicle on the Essequibo issue and every indication points to fulfilment of both its national responsibility to always defend the Golden Arrowhead and projects designated national aspirations.

Guyanese are ending 2023 virtually on top of our world, with predications and projections ranging beyond any positive realities that existed before good governance returned in 1992 and 2020.
We have a government that has shown since August 2020 that it cares and this newspaper has spared no opportunity to continue to report the truth and feature the new progress we’re witnessing today, that the oldest among us never dreamed of.

We’re proud of our role in 2023 and the contribution of every staffer — and we naturally look forward to 2024 being another fruitful year for continuity of our drive to stay on top of the news, even before it breaks!