ON Wednesday last, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali stood before hundreds of Guyanese and other non-residents to declare his socioeconomic plan and political vision for Guyana over the next five years. The President shared his government’s areas of primary focus and legislative agenda for development, growth and wealth creation, signalling prosperity for all Guyanese.
In the address, the President outlined how his government will create real socioeconomic growth and change for the people, touching every individual, family, household, community and town.
President Ali said that the plan caters for the needs of vulnerable groups such as people living with disabilities, pensioners, women, men and children with a commitment to providing tax cuts, tax breaks, salary increases, cash transfers, policy shifts, measures and programmes.
Through the menu of programmes and policies, resources would be distributed to the people who need them the most. He was convinced that if they were distributed more fairly and equally, then there could be a further dent in the poverty levels, which have no doubt gone down, in society. According to the President, Guyanese could expect more financial and other resources to flow directly to small and medium-scale businesses and the private sector. He announced that an additional $200 million will provide zero-interest, zero-collateral loans via the new Guyana Development Bank.
The Guyanese head of state, dressed in white, told the public that aside from the conditional cash transfers to the people, his government will continue with the industrialisation of the economy, which is marked by sustained infrastructural development, the integration of AI and the use of more technologies, and social welfare services.
President Ali said too that, “all of this can be lost if we don’t change our mindset and build a more caring and value-based society. Not a society of want, but a society of needs, not a society of convenience, but a society of structured, deliberate strategies to uphold, uplift, and promote each other. Fellow Guyanese, my government’s vision for success does not rest solely on economic progress and our wealth accumulation, it also hinges on something far more profound. That is a fundamental shift in our national mindset and the values we embrace as a society.”
Explaining that this transformation starts at an individual level, the Guyanese leader said it is essential for building a future that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable.
“Our vision of success necessitates unity, discipline, and the proactive engagement of every Guyanese. It is a vision that requires every citizen to be respectful of the environment, compassionate to their fellow Guyanese, protective of the most vulnerable citizens and mindful of all forms of life, human, animal, and ecological…,” he said.
Firstly, President Ali’s address to the nation was appropriate and timely. It was very politically bold, futuristic and visionary. At every point throughout the address, it caused people to stop and think about the new Guyana that is possible over the next five years if they believe and stay the course with sustainable development. Armed with financial figures and estimates, the President set the stage for what he and his government will tackle in the upcoming budget 2026. It provided a hint of measures and plans contained in the upcoming budget, and laid the foundation for greater conversations and dialogues to take place, which could contribute to meaningful efforts to expand and modernise Guyana.
Secondly, there was little that the opposition and the naysayers could say at the end because the President’s presentation touched on every spot in a detailed context and measures. The opposition parties, WIN and its political cousin APNU, predictably rolled out their lacklustre criticisms, peddling nonsense about an alleged promise by the President that was neither made nor broken. They also complained about not being formally invited to attend. Yet even if they had been invited, would they have participated in good faith, or would they have simply attempted to upstage the event, as they so often do? Given their recent conduct, the answer to that question is anyone’s guess.
As for the first argument, the President addressed the matter ably and reasonably, acknowledging public expectations for cash transfers or grants at this time of year. He explained that such support has been provided for in the January budget, ensuring that citizens will still receive funds to spend. However, he cautioned against an overreliance on transfers alone, urging people instead to take advantage of the many opportunities available for job creation and economic empowerment as a means of building lasting wealth.
The opposition PR machinery is working overtime to convince the public-unsuccessfully-that they have been wronged. They have not delivered any sound analysis yet of what the President had said in his speech. They have not analysed or asked anything interesting or intelligent about the masterclass on politics, public administration and policy delivered by the President. And, the public must not expect anything that resembles sense or constructive arguments from the opposition at this time. The elections are over, but the opposition is still caught up in playing a game of politics and grandstanding. The President played chess and checked the opposition parties with his big, beautiful speech, and now they are clamouring to respond. It would be a different ball game if the opposition were to admit that Guyana is on the right path, pinpointing aspects of the president’s speech which were welcome and accepted. But they are like ‘sourpusses’ and sour wine that would rather be deliberate obstructionists to the path of rapid modernisation, development and progress.
Thirdly, it is often said and believed that a country’s golden years of development refer to periods of rapid, sustained economic growth, rising living standards, low unemployment, and social progress. This term is often used to describe well-known periods such as the post–World War II era (1945–1973) in industrialised nations, commonly referred to as the “Golden Age of Capitalism.” It can also apply to specific transformative eras, such as ancient China’s Tang and Song dynasties, or to a country’s own period of economic and social boom, typically marked by innovation, strong institutions, and an improved quality of life.
Now, with the President’s announcement of his bold vision and socioeconomic plan over the next five years, it seems likely that Guyana will now enter its golden years of development and change. These years will be marked by significant economic expansion and growth, leading to industrialisation and increasing productivity. It will also see improved standards of living marked by better wages, more leisure time, higher literacy, increased life expectancy, and reduced poverty. President Ali addressed all of these themes on Wednesday, while also laying a solid foundation for the strengthening of social safety nets and the expansion of education through the University of Guyana, the GOAL programme, the Digital School, and other institutions. He further outlined the technological leap Guyana is expected to undertake over the next five years, alongside the preservation of institutional stability, the deepening of international co-operation, and the implementation of strong domestic policies that stimulate demand.
If countries such as China, Mexico, India, Germany, the United States, Japan, and Western Europe were able to navigate their golden periods of development, Guyana can do the same, with effective leadership, good governance, sound policymaking and responsible resource management. The government and President Ali must remain focused on the long-term impact and consequences that may threaten to stop or pause the transformation expected from such a remarkable plan, such as economic shocks in the form of oil crises and financial market instability, and the systemic changes which can lead to a collapse of monetary systems. They must be aware of the policy shifts which can lead to higher inflation or inequality.
Finally, we must acknowledge that there are many brighter days ahead for Guyanese, and Budget 2026 is just the beginning. With President Ali at the helm of government, we will see the forward movement of Guyana into the age of unprecedented growth and the industrialisation era. This is a powerful political move by the president, who said many more things about using our resources properly and wisely to develop and transform our lives. Let’s be clear and pellucid. Guyana is entering its phase of the golden years of development, but some forces threaten to hold us still and roll back all of the development, modernisation and improvements that will come our way eventually. Will you let those forces prevail? The opposition must come to the front of the class and get its act together! They will get it right, today…
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.