AS the country marks its 59th independence anniversary today, Guyana is at an unprecedented juncture in its history after being steered from economic uncertainty to unparalleled prosperity under the leadership of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government.

The successes of the last four years have essentially transformed the face of the nation, as the government’s vision to enhance education, health, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure have turned into tangible realities that reach every corner of our diverse nation.

Distribution of ICT nodes throughout Guyana’s hinterland populations, along with the purposeful placement of solar systems, is an important attempt to close the digital divide and make access to education and medicine more equitable through projects such as the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and telemedicine.
These transformative developments represent more than mere policy victories; they embody a vision of inclusive progress that ensures no Guyanese is left behind in our march toward modernity.

The economic change under the PPP/C has been nothing short of remarkable with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noting that Guyana is set to register economic growth of 37.2 per cent, proof of the good management of our economy.

This outstanding growth path has been driven by record output in our oil and gas operations, with ExxonMobil producing a record 650,000 barrels of oil per day from its three mega-projects, hitting a combined production mark of 500 million barrels in November.

Most notably, the government’s insistence on local content has seen more than 6,000 Guyanese now employed in the oil-and-gas industry, while the generation of almost 60,000 new jobs across many sectors demonstrates that our newfound oil wealth is returning directly to citizens.

The new gas-to-energy project in the future will cut electricity costs by half, offering considerable economic respite to families and businesses, and the Guyana Low Carbon Development Strategy points to our forward-thinking responses to economic and environmental sustainability.

Yet even as we mark these incredible successes, we must remain cognisant that tests still lie ahead, from the ongoing necessity of updating our infrastructure to making sure that the benefits of our prosperity flow to every community within our large expanse of territory.

The floods of 2021 tested our crisis-management abilities, and it served to remind us that natural disasters and climate change remain a threat to our advancement.
But these threats pale into insignificance alongside the potential that lies ahead because the government’s focus on constitutional reform, the unification of local government and insistence that procurement law is rigorously applied speaks to a resolve to govern openly and accountably
The inauguration of the US$13 million Facility Simulator at the Guyana Technical Training College represents an investment by the government in human capital formation to prepare Guyanese labour with the necessary competencies for our developing economy.

As we turn the page and embark on a new chapter in our nation’s history, unity is not only a dream, but a necessity to sustain onward progress.
The vision of PPP/C for a free, prosperous, socially just, and world-class competitive society can be achieved only when all Guyanese—irrespective of race, religion, or region—accept our common destiny.

The raise in cash grants to schoolchildren and reinstatement of the programme ‘Because We Care,’ demonstrate commitment towards enhancing the welfare of the ordinary Guyanese further, but these gains need to be supported and complemented by all citizens if their maximum effect is to be experienced.

Our 59th independence anniversary must be a clarion call to unity, for the fact that the prosperity we have gained by virtue of our oil resources and the policies of transformation of the PPP/C government must be defended and further developed through collective effort.

It is only if we remain united as one people, one nation, with one destiny that we can ensure that the next 59 years will be even more remarkable than the advances we are celebrating today.