Laid-back approach & serious consideration

Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy is creating opportunities across multiple sectors, but the ability to take full advantage of those opportunities will depend on the attitude, skills and work ethic of the population. Concerns raised by Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Minister Zulfikar Ally and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat about a laid-back approach to work therefore deserve serious consideration.
The ministers’ comments should not be interpreted as a condemnation of Guyanese workers generally. Guyana has a long history of producing hardworking, resourceful and resilient people, both at home and abroad. The success of Guyanese immigrants in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and elsewhere is itself evidence of the capacity of Guyanese people to adapt, compete and succeed in demanding environments.
The central question is why that same determination cannot consistently be applied at home.
Minister Ally’s observation that Guyanese abroad have built successful lives through hard work is particularly relevant. Many who leave Guyana enter unfamiliar environments, accept entry-level employment, acquire new skills and gradually improve their circumstances. That experience demonstrates that the capacity for discipline, perseverance and ambition already exists.
Guyana’s current economic transformation presents an opportunity to bring that same culture of hard work, punctuality, accountability and continuous improvement into the domestic workplace.
Foreign nationals coming to Guyana in search of economic opportunities are competing in an increasingly active labour market. Many arrive prepared to work long hours, acquire skills and take opportunities that are available. Such competition should serve as an incentive for Guyanese workers and businesses to raise standards and become more competitive.
At the same time, concerns about local workers must be balanced with the responsibility of employers and policymakers to create fair conditions.
Minister Bharrat’s warning about the perception that oil wealth eliminates the need to work also warrants attention. The discovery of petroleum resources has significantly changed Guyana’s economic prospects, but natural resources cannot substitute for individual productivity and national capacity. Oil revenues can finance development, infrastructure, education and social programmes, but sustainable prosperity requires a productive population capable of creating value across the economy.
Cash grants and other forms of government assistance have an important role in supporting vulnerable citizens and providing temporary relief. However, social assistance should complement economic activity rather than become a substitute for employment, entrepreneurship, training or productive participation. A growing economy requires citizens who see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as participants in it.
The message from Attorney General, Anil Nandlall is equally important as qualifications, certification and skills development are becoming increasingly necessary as Guyana’s economy becomes more sophisticated.
This places a responsibility on individuals to pursue education, technical training, certification and professional development. Employers, educational institutions and government must likewise ensure that training opportunities correspond with the needs of the economy.
Improving Guyana’s work culture will not happen through criticism or political rhetoric alone as it requires a sustained national effort to promote punctuality, professionalism, accountability, productivity and respect for excellence.
There is also a need to change the perception that hard work is merely about working longer hours. A modern work ethic includes reliability, initiative, problem-solving, learning new skills, respecting deadlines and taking responsibility for results. These qualities are increasingly important in an economy where Guyanese workers are competing not only among themselves but with a global labour force.
Guyana has resources, investment and expanding opportunities, but those advantages will have limited impact if human capacity does not advance alongside them.
The appropriate response to the ministers’ concerns, therefore, is reflection. Guyanese have already demonstrated, in communities across the world, the ability to work hard and succeed. The challenge is to cultivate that same culture at home.