In a most difficult global financial period, Guyana’s economy has weathered the

storm and has shown impressive growth relative to what is happening in many countries.
 According to the Caribbean development Bank (CDB), the economic picture in most CARICOM member states is gloomy Guyana, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago are optimistic.
“The bright areas are Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and Guyana; they have weathered the storm and we expect them to continue to do so, to the extent that they continue to perform good, we are hoping that we can persuade them to up their business with [the] CDB and our prospects should increase in parallel.”
“Consequently, with the notable exceptions of Guyana and Haiti, which are again expected to grow by over five percent, most borrowing member countries (BMCs) are expected to grow modestly by 1-2.5 percent, in 2012,” the CDB noted.
The World Bank also made similar observations about Guyana’s economy, reporting that Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow to 5.1% in 2012 with greater growth of 5.6% projected for 2013, even as there are threats to the United States economy and the struggle by European countries.
 Despite the negative and pessimistic picture critics and the anti-government forces are desperately trying to portray of Guyana’s, the above statistics tell a different story of a sound economy and consistent growth. These facts and statistics are not from the government, but rather from reputable and independent organisations which have no reason to be sympathetic to the former.
 The reality is that because of sound macro-economic management our economy has been performing well and those tasked with this responsibility should be commended, especially in view of a difficult global financial environment.
 In fact from 1993 to 1997, the economy grew by an average of over 7%, making it the fastest growing economy in Latin America. At that time the main opposition party argued that this good economic performance was  a result of policies and programmes inherited from the previous government whose dismal record came to an end in October 1992 after a 28-year dictatorship had left this country devastated.
 It was this economic success which influenced the opposition to venture into sabotage by creating mayhem in 1997 and onwards because they realised that if the economy continued to perform at such a rate, as an opposition they would have been decimated or become irrelevant. So they went on a rampage to slow down the growth and create social upheaval which obviously would have adverse effects on the developmental process, and to some extent they succeeded,
 However, after a few years of low economic growth rates, the economy bounced back and is back on the road of healthy growth with most of the productive sectors performing very well.
Today we are not anymore a Highly  Indebted Poor Country. We are now a middle-income developing country and is not characterised by a shortage of fuel, food, building and almost every consumer item and runaway inflation.
 And with the imminence of several major projects becoming a reality, the major one of course being the Amaila Falls Hydroproject, our economic prospects and future are indeed optimistic.