THE dawn of a new year always brings with it a renewed sense of hope and optimism. Such optimism is by no means misplaced. The country is poised for major developments in almost all facets of national life which could result in an enhanced quality of life for the Guyanese people. The year ended on a positive note with the passage of two important pieces of legislation which could now pave the way for higher levels of accountability and transparency in the management of our natural resources.

The unbecoming behaviour of the opposition parliamentarians notwithstanding, the two pieces of legislation can be seen as a gift to the nation, coming on the very eve of the new year of 2022.

Guyanese can now look forward to a much bigger share of the oil revenues, both from the standpoint of local content and in overall management of the sector in a transparent and accountable manner.

The year 2021 was noted for some significant developments both at the national and international levels. Internationally, the COVID-19 pandemic continued, thankfully on a much smaller scale due to a robust vaccination programme, especially in the developed world. The unequal distribution of vaccines continues to be a limiting factor in terms of slowing down the spread of the virus, especially with respect to the poorer nations. The emergence of new variants such as the Delta and Omicron continue to pose challenges to the medical community in terms of coming up with antidotes at a fast enough pace to effectively control the spread of the virus.

The year also saw the convening of the much anticipated Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland, which saw the participation of leaders from all across the globe. There were mixed results. Financial commitments made by the richer industrialised nations to mitigate the effects of climate change are still to be fully realised.  Meanwhile, climate change continues to wreak havoc in several parts of the world including Guyana, which experienced earlier this year one of the worst floods in recent history.

Guyana, fully conscious of its vulnerability to the effects of climate change, has committed to full reforestation by 2020, which is a very bold and ambitious target, given our huge forest cover and the contribution of the forestry sector to our economy. However, the country is fully committed to a low- carbon trajectory.

Guyana is now on a new path of development. The country is now firmly on a low-carbon development trajectory which has won the commendation of the international community as a low-carbon economy.

Guyana under the leadership of President Dr Irfaan Ali has already demonstrated that with the political will it is possible to overcome any obstacles in the way of national development.  Governance in a politically diverse society is not without its challenges and the PPP/C administration has demonstrated that it is possible to overcome these challenges once the political will to do so is embraced by the population as a whole. The One Guyana concept adumbrated by President Ali holds out new promise for a new Guyana in which every Guyanese is seen as an equal partner in the exciting field of national development.

Governance in a plural and ethnically diverse society such as ours is not without its challenges. In the final analysis it is the extent to which the principle of the greatest good to the greatest many that is the ultimate criterion of good governance.

The government has demonstrated that its approach to governance is grounded on the principles of fair and equitable distribution of the goods and services to all Guyanese regardless of politics or ethnicity. The distribution of house lots is just one example of this policy orientation. There is absolutely no differentiation in the manner of distribution of house lots to eligible Guyanese.

It has to be admitted that there is no perfect system of governance, especially in the context of political pluralism and ethnic diversity.  Guyana under the PPP/ C administration has demonstrated that it is possible to rise above the narrow confines of race and politics to advance the overall good of society.

A happy and productive 2022 to all Guyanese!