–Minister Ally tells TAU graduating class

MINISTER for the Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, has told graduates of Texila American University (TAU) that the demand for skilled professionals exists right here in Guyana.
He underscored the government’s commitment to the nation’s development and to providing boundless opportunities for Guyanese to grow personally and professionally.
A total of 45 young people graduated from TAU on Friday with degrees in medicine, business administration and information technology.
The graduates listened keenly as the minister delivered the address at the university’s 19th Graduation Ceremony.
He said TAU has embedded itself in the Guyanese education system, serving as a crucial training ground for major academic disciplines, including medicine and public health, business administration and information technology.
Minister Ally said the government has removed critical barriers to education and put mechanisms in place to make quality education easier and more affordable for future generations.
He pointed to the many scholarships approved through his ministry for TAU students, the more than 40,000 Guyanese studying through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme, and the introduction of free Coursera programmes that allow all Guyanese to learn skills online.
“These and other investments that we have made in education should not be taken very lightly. You sitting here today and your achievement should not be taken very lightly as well. While we have made tools available to upskill all Guyanese continuously throughout their careers and their lives, we have removed the critical barriers to education and have put in place mechanisms that will make accessing quality education easier and more affordable for future generations to come,” the minister said.
He noted President Dr Irfaan Ali’s steadfast commitment to education, training and general human development.
The government’s development agenda, he said, is not limited to physical infrastructure but is equally focused on investing in people and ensuring that Guyanese are equipped to benefit from, and contribute meaningfully to, Guyana’s extraordinary growth.
Turning to healthcare, the sector 38 of the graduates will enter, Minister Ally said its transformation is a clear example of building physical infrastructure, providing pathways for human development and creating job opportunities.
Around $161 billion has been allocated to the sector this year, and in 2025 the government brought into operation six new state-of-the-art regional hospitals across Guyana, with more promised in the coming years.
“I am highlighting this to you because six years ago you probably would have struggled to enter into the healthcare system. There wouldn’t have been any hospital that would have absorbed you, to [allow you to] pursue your passion and your dream. Our people would not have had access to quality healthcare, and you yourself would not have been able to pursue your dreams.
“I am saying this to tell you that as you reflect today on all the hard work you did and the course that you are going to embark upon, know that everything did not happen in a vacuum. Everything was carefully planned, everything was carefully executed, so that when you enter the world of work, when you pursue this career that you’re so passionate about, you can do it in modern facilities using modern equipment and be able to treat all your fellow citizens and your families in an environment that is safe,” he said.
The minister told the graduating class that they are entering the workforce at a time when the government is creating, and will continue to create, opportunities for them to contribute directly to the modernisation of the healthcare system.
As healthcare infrastructure expands, he said, the need for qualified and dedicated professionals will continue to grow.
“That is why our healthcare professionals graduating here today and those who are currently pursuing their studies are important in meeting this demand. Today as we speak, we still need hundreds of doctors, we need hundreds of nurses to fully and adequately serve the people of Guyana,” he said.
He added: “When we open other regional hospitals, very soon we will need hundreds more doctors and nurses and medical professionals to staff those institutions. So, I’m not here today telling you to go pursue higher education where there are no opportunities. The demand for skilled professionals exists right here in Guyana, and that demand will continue to grow as our country develops.”