Govt will ensure all Guyanese benefit from country’s wealth – Pres Ali in New Year Message

…says 2022 will see ground being laid for young Guyanese to lead in oil and gas sector

With Guyana expecting to undergo unprecedented economic transformation, especially with the legislations now in place for the country to access revenues earned from the oil and gas sector that are being held in the Natural Resource Fund, President Dr Irfaan Ali has recommitted to ensuring that all Guyanese benefit from the oil monies.

He gave this reassurance in his New Year message that was broadcast live in the waning hours of 2021.
According to the Head of State, “I do not want a rich Guyana of poor people. Yes, Guyana must be rich so that never again should we be among the poorest in the world; never again should our poor have to be nomads, seeking survival in other parts of the world… But our people must share in the benefits of the wealth that is now Guyana’s – and share in it without fear or favour. It is the right of their birth and a right that has been earned by them and their fore-parents who toiled, sweated and sacrificed to make Guyana their beloved homeland.”
President Ali pointed out that it is hard to create conditions that will make the new year truly happy for all but, nevertheless, committed to trying his very best. However, he noted that this requires genuine commitment and real resolve in order to put in place the programmes and projects that uplift the quality of life.
Ali explained that he contested for the Presidency of Guyana with the intention of helping to fashion and implement such policies that will benefit everyone in Guyana regardless of race, colour and creed. He asserted that he will not be derailed, diverted and deterred from carrying out this mandate.
On this note, the Head of State condemned the “gross unparliamentary behaviour” displayed by the APNU/AFC Opposition Members of Parliament in the National Assembly during the hearing of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill on Wednesday evening.
Though the legislation was successfully passed and has since been signed into law, President Ali said the coalition’s disruptive actions were aimed at preventing the public from hearing the policies set out in the bill that will see Government having an arm’s length approach to the management of the Fund and the National Assembly having oversight on the spending of the oil money.
Currently, there is over US$534 million in the NRF being held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. The President stated that it is reasonable for Guyanese to expect to see benefits from the oil revenues being spent on their welfare and wellbeing in order to improve their lives.
According to Ali, he will not be distracted from fulfilling this expectation as well as his Government’s goal of building “One Guyana” in which all Guyanese enjoy equality of opportunity and a pathway to prosperity.
“I know that, underlying the strategy of intimidation by certain persons in the Opposition – and let me be clear, not all of them – there is the desire to exploit the old bogey of race and racism. But I repeat what I have stated from the very first minute of my Presidency, racism and racial discrimination have no place in a One Guyana nation. As one people, we cannot advance our country and improve our lives until we do it together,” the Head of State stressed.
It is for this reason, he stated, that his Government, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Guyanese in ways that matter most over the past 16 months in office by tackling the COVID-19 pandemic frontally and injecting billions of dollars into the pockets of Guyanese through various cash grants and relief initiatives.
This is coupled with the PPP/C Government fulfilling its manifesto promises to remove and reduce burdensome taxes, rehire sugar workers while reopening the closed estates and distributing more house lots, among other things.
President Ali outlined too that the positives over the past year also include the laying of foundation for several major infrastructure projects that will take off in 2022.
“More exciting progress lies ahead,” he declared.
On the other hand, the Head of State revealed that this year, the Administration will be focusing on the development of the young Guyanese generation, whom he said renews his hope and strengthens his resolve with their productive attitudes, beliefs and openness about the country’s way forward.

To this end, he announced his intention to create new educational and work opportunities for young professionals in Guyana.
“I want them to gain experience and to become educated and trained to be owners and managers of all sectors of our society. While at this time we must rely on foreign know-how in the oil and gas sectors, the ground must be readied now for young Guyanese to assume those positions, regardless of their race, colour or creed,” the President insisted.
He went on to say that his Ministers have already been instructed to implement policies throughout their various Ministries and departments, and in the award of scholarships and the building of training institutions to this effect.
Another initiative the Government will be undertaking in the new year to enhance Guyanese youth is to hold meetings with individual organised groups of young people, including the youth arms of all the political parties as soon as possible.
“I want to hear their views; I want to learn how they think we should shape the future of our One Guyana; I want to dialogue with them about the kind of country they wish to inherit and how they will advance it. My fellow countrymen, the next generation must be better than this one, if not, our country will regress not progress,” the Head of State posited.
Moreover, President Ali went on to talk about his Government’s continued efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and reiterated his plea to persons to ensure they get vaccinated to protect themselves from getting infected by the deadly virus.
He also spoke about challenges with the global supply chain which has been disrupted due to the pandemic and is now disturbing Guyana’s development plans. However, the Guyanese leader reassured that his Government will lose no time in seeking ways to ease the strain on the Guyanese people.