Next 4 years to focus on multifaceted transformation of Guyana – Pres Ali n

…6 years of groundwork set stage for Guyana’s next phase of transformatio

President Dr Irfaan Ali believes that the work his administration has done over the past six years was to prepare for a multifaceted transformation of Guyana – one not just at the macro-economic level but also the social level as well.
Speaking during a recent interview, the Head of State reflected on his presidency over the last six years, noting that the foundation for this transformation was laid during that period.
“The last six years has been preparation… [It] has been a lot of hard work, very little sleep, enormous commitment, challenges, setbacks, some pitfalls in life, you have to deal with some pitfalls, opportunities, but also the results show that what was put in did deliver results,” President Ali noted.
With the foundation laid, the Guyanese Leader says now the focus will be delivering a wholistic development for the country and its people.
“This opportunity before me is multifaceted. It is how do we, in the next four years, build on the foundation of the last six, and bring this country together, bring people together, bring families together, bring communities together. And at the same time, at a macro level, work on those transformative projects; not only in infrastructure, not only the roads, the bridges, the ports, the schools, the health centers and hospitals – not only those things.”
“Those transformative investment projects, those economic projects that would last for generations, that will position Guyana as a food hub and food capital for the world, that would advance our biodiversity and climate services, that will position us as an energy hub, that will deliver the highest skilled human resource potential and capacity, and we’re already doing that,” the President posited.
While he noted that modern infrastructure is important to the country’s development, the Head of State emphasised that so too is a country that advances on the pillars of peace, love, understanding, patience, contentment, dignity, and honour. At the core of this is Ali’s Model Village initiative.
Inspired by his own experiences growing up, the president believes that development must not only touch urban areas.

Model Village
The Model Village initiative was launched by the President in August and is expected to be rolled out in some 23 communities across various regions in its first phase. It features enhancing roads, drainage, irrigation systems and green spaces as well as creating a safe, peaceful and comfortable living environment for residents.
So far, consultations have been held with residents of these identified villages in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
According to President Ali, this concept will eventually be executed in every community across the country. Drawing from this background in urban planning and development as well as his tenure as Housing Minister, Ali said he witnessed firsthand how investments and development can transform lives and communities into new centres of economic opportunity.
“Look at Diamond [on the East Bank of Demerara], remember how it started? …And then the [commercial] banks went, then major industries went… We also saw in those communities, how the life changed for people. Young people, people owning things, the quality of houses improved, quality of life improved, generally.”
“And so, a model village is being what we want every village to be like in Guyana. So, we are starting with these pilots. But the Model Village Initiative is to let people aspire to be what they see in that village, to let people understand what we want every village to look like. So, in 2031, when they vote again, they’ll understand that voting for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is about voting for a government that will transform every village into what they see in that model village. And learning also, learning from the pitfalls and the challenges,” the president stated.
Moreover, the Guyanese Leader is keen on ensuring that citizens, especially young people, actively participate in this phase of development. He cited successful models such the government’s tunnel house project, the swine project, and the shade house project among initiatives that persons can also capitalise on.
“These are all emerging to be such transformative investments for these young people… We have young groups coming from all across the country, hundreds of young groups wanting to get involved in the tunnel house programme… I believe that food security and investing in agriculture is investment that can be profitable, that is investment that can be sustainable and as I did it, I encourage persons to do it,” President Ali stated.
The Guyanese Leader has been at the forefront of driving an aggressive food security agenda not only in Guyana but the Caribbean as well. In fact, over the years, heavy investments have been injected into the various regions across the country, including in the hinterland, to advance agricultural development.