Work collectively towards a prosperous, unified Guyana

Dear Editor,
As His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister the Honorable Brigadier Mark Phillips mark four years in office, it is time to reflect and highlight on the progress the country has made since the chaotic and frantic 2020 General and Regional Elections.
During those five disorderly months, the nation was in panic, as the PPPC faced several challenges, not knowing the results of the March 2 elections or what the future holds. Not only was the PPPC declared the winner by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), but democracy also triumphed on August 2, 2020.
With elections expected in late 2025, everyone must be prepared to protect our cherished democracy, which could have been lost had it not been for steadfast efforts made by the PPPC to combat the barefaced rigging engaged in by the coalition government.
Since being sworn-in as respective President and Prime Minister, the list of achievements under the Ali-Phillips leadership has been extensive and across-the-board. Among those achievements are: successful navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which wreaked havoc on the nation for almost two years; the major floods that nearly crippled the agriculture industry, especially rice and cash crops; and last, but not least, inflation and its impact on the people, especially on the middle and lower classes.
While Guyana is not the only country in the world that has been afflicted by inflation, which is a measure of the cost-of-living, President Dr. Ali and his government, including PM Brigadier Mark Phillips and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, have offered relief to thousands of households through fiscal grants and tax relief, and have pledged further assistance.
As Guyanese, we are blessed and should be extremely proud to have such outstanding, creative, visionary and devoted leaders with superb administrative and policy-making skills; who, in four years, have inspired our youths, transformed Guyana, and moved it from the status of an underdeveloped nation to that of a developed country.
To fulfill some of his grand policies aimed at regional food security in the Caribbean by 2025, the Head of State has turned around the agriculture sector with massive crop diversification, the infusion of Government funds and technology, the rebuilding of the Rose Hall Sugar Factory which was gutted by the Granger administration, and the modernization of the outdated infrastructure landscape after years of neglect.
The PPPC government has distributed more than 35,000 house lots and created 45,000 jobs especially for youths, who are 65 percent of the population. Not to mention the careful development of the oil and gas sector by Government, despite the lopsided contract signed by the Granger administration.
In the same period, President Dr. Ali has increased salaries for public servants, old age pensions have been increased for the more than 60,000 senior citizens, and public assistance and “Because We Care” cash grant for school-aged children have been increased significantly.
His Excellency has embarked on a set of broad-ranging policies to reduce poverty, create wealth, and make Guyana the most prosperous nation in the hemisphere.
Government has also invested large sums of money in health care, social services, and education with the construction of new schools in several regions and with the ultimate goal of making post-secondary education free at the University of Guyana by 2025.
These initiatives by our leaders clearly underscore the dedication, commitment and determination of President Dr. Ali, Prime Minister Phillips and Vice President Jagdeo to sustainable and human development and to preservation of the environment. Their resolve to solve the nation’s problems, develop the country, and improve the lives of the poor is unfaltering, and should instill optimism and confidence among all Guyanese at home and in the diaspora about our country’s economic future. Everyone, regardless of their status, political affiliation or ethnicity, should work collectively towards a prosperous and unified Guyana.

Sincerely,
Dr Asquith Rose