– country taking bold leaps in economic transformation, President Ali says

Fuelled by rapid growth through ambitious infrastructure projects and strategic investments across industries, Guyana is no longer merely seeking development, but it is actively achieving it.
This is according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who during a vibrant address on the eve of the country’s 59th Independence anniversary at the weekend, said the path forward is clear and the road to prosperity lies ahead.
“We need only to hold each other’s hands and march steadfastly to our common goal—a developed Guyana in whose bounty all must share, Dr. Ali said, asserting that the country is now on the cusp of “magnificent achievements.”

“We are no longer a nation seeking development. We are a nation moving rapidly to accomplish it, and ensuring no one is left behind. From the forest of the Rupununi to the coastline of Berbice, real progress is evident. We are building schools, not just for today’s children, but for tomorrow’s thinkers, builders and leaders.”

HEALTHCARE
Delving into plans to transform the country’s health sector, he noted that the government is already reshaping infrastructure not for prominence but for purpose.
“We’re expanding healthcare, no longer as a privilege for a few, but a right of all, delivered with fairness, not favour.”
He added: “ [It’s] not to impress, but to empower, not as aspiration, but as achievement, visible, tangible and lived every day in the lives of our Guyanese people.”
The coming years, he said, will be marked by even harder work as the government continues building the blocks of transformation.
Dr. Ali is seeking re-elections in this year’s September national and regional polls. As such, he also made an appeal to the electorate to examine how far the country has come and used his address to speak of even greater plans.
“Guyana in the future must be an exporter of educational and health services. We must be the preferred destination for regional and international students. We must invest in medical tourism with Guyana as a preferred provider of world-class health care. We have to do all of this whilst creating opportunities for our diaspora to also participate.”
He added: “From Lethem to Linden, from Anna Regina to Bartica. Our One Guyana vision means that every citizen will share fully and fairly in a nation’s wealth, not by chance, but by deliberate policy, not tomorrow, but now.”

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION
To support the country’s massive development undertaking and future, Dr. Ali noted that technology, technological transformation, the creation of digital infrastructure to promote universal access of every aspect of ICT; universal IT literacy, IT literacy for Guyanese of all ages will be required.
He explained further that digitisation will play a great role in making government services more efficient incubating digital innovation, creating an artificial intelligence ecosystem to leverage the benefit of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all sectors.

“These are the areas of the future that we will invest in heavily to ensure the prosperity and sustainability of our country and our people.”
He said this too must be the bedrock in which a secure and safe Guyana is created.

“The national security transformation will see technology driving our security architecture. Satellite, radar, drone technology, AI-driven threat detection and intelligence analysis, rolling out safe city and safe country, digital solutions for traffic safety, camera-based speed limit and seat belt detection, digitalised case management, cyber resilience and building human capital in our security sector are also key to this.”
To this end, he noted that Guyana will be leveraging its regional partnership in support of fighting crimes, especially transnational crime.
“Our partners in CARICOM, SOUTHCOM, South America, and all other partners will be part of our journey towards a safe and secure nation and region.”

NATIONAL PROSPERITY AND VALUES
Dr. Ali noted, however important to Guyana’s economic transformation is its people.
“Important to all of this human transformation is high-quality moral, religious and civic education.  We must build a country in which our people have values that are held in high esteem.”
To this end, the government plans to work with the religious community.
“Our Mosques, our churches, our temples, transfer resources directly to them to help in this endeavour as we build holistic citizens.”