Guyana is commemorating 56 years as an independent nation and President Dr. Irfaan Ali has invited all citizens to participate in the massive ongoing transformation, which he promised will help each individual achieve much prosperity.
Speaking directly to Guyanese on the eve of Guyana’s 56th Independence anniversary, the Head of State said, “Tonight we celebrate the unification of us as a people.
“But more importantly, we send a strong message that every single region is important, every single region is central to development and our government’s plans for development.”
Later he assured citizens, “…we are not going to let any stumbling block derail our path to prosperity and development (or) derail our path to ‘One Guyana’.”
And as he delivered his passionate independence anniversary speech- the second of his presidency- at Damon’s Square at Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast, the Head of State outlined developmental plans across the country that have already started to take shape.
Among those plans are massive infrastructural projects such as the forthcoming new Demerara river crossing and the Linden to Mabura road- both projects with contracts signed over the past few days.
The gas-to-energy project, slated for Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD), is another massive investment that will be undertaken by President Ali’s government.
And he touted the potential of this project, stating that it will slash Guyana’s high electricity costs while also spurring industrialisation and providing opportunities for the creation of cooking and fertilisers- both everyday commodities.
Not only are such infrastructural projects necessary to aid Guyana’s economic development, but President Ali explained that such investments signal an improvement in people’s quality of life.
Also enhancing that quality of life, he said, is the focus that has also been placed on improving the quality of healthcare and education people have access to.
For example, he said that the country should soon ink a new US $175 million contract for a modern, national maternal and children’s hospital which promises to bring “some of the best” healthcare to mothers and children in Guyana.
This hospital is just one of six new hospitals promised, with major upgrades carded for other health facilities.
And President Ali said that there were many more projects, programmes and plans in store for Guyana.
“We are on a forward looking trajectory, let us not be persuaded or dissuaded from the one true way of moving this country- that is the ‘One Guyana’ platform,” he said, emphasising that all Guyanese are crucial to the success of the government’s efforts.
For the first time, this year, Guyana’s national independence celebrations are being hosted outside of the capital city Georgetown.
And as he addressed the crowd at Anna Regina, the Head of State disclosed that his government plans to host the national celebrations in a different region each year- in keeping with the thrust of creating an “inclusive government”.
