President Ifraan Ali has placed Guyana on an express train to progress. For his second term in office, he is attempting what seems nearly impossible to achieve. I say “nearly impossible” because, examining the targets set for the government versus the challenges ahead, five years shrinks to three.
What are some of these targets?
According to the President, and clearly our new CEO of Sustainability and Green Development, he has challenged himself and the government to rescue Georgetown through 15 projects. These include a Stabroek waterfront development, new recreational spaces, clearing and improving the drainage systems, and the restoration of heritage sites.
The Head of State has also redoubled efforts to develop Guyana’s gas sector, bringing the highly anticipated gas-to-energy project back on track for next year. That initiative will hopefully end blackouts, slash electricity bills by 50 per cent, and restore honour to GPL’s good name.
At GuyExpo 2025, President Ali laid out plans to transform Guyana’s agriculture sector, promising to deliver the most enviable agro-processing hub in this hemisphere.
The President, we can all agree, has been unflinching in his efforts to advance the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS) on the international stage. Building on the legacy he inherited from Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, the President is determined to establish a global alliance of nations, academics and institutions that work diligently to protect biodiversity, recognising that it is the bedrock of our earth’s survival.
The foregoing are all exemplary but extremely weighty targets. Yet, the Head of State has made it his mission to utilise every platform to reiterate his plans for the 2025-2030 period and why they matter to your future. Inspiring people to embrace and participate in meaningful change is a hallmark of good leadership. Such leaders are well aware that the best results come when people feel motivated to get behind a cause, and a good one at that. But change is not always easy. The president admitted as much recently.
At the November 10 launch of the Public Service Upskilling Platform, President Ali emphasised that the public service has to be part of the nation’s transformation. It can no longer see itself as a paper-pushing machine. It must evolve, becoming the epitome of efficiency. In his bid to bleach the public service system, he noted that new courses are available via Coursera. This is to ensure Guyana’s public service has new global benchmarks embedded into its modus operandi.
While this is a commendable start, it is now up to the Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, to ensure this platform is not only being utilised, but the skills learnt are being adopted, and the citizenry benefits from improved services. Minister Ally is a crucial chess piece in the President’s plan to condense 15 years of radical change into five. As such, the results have to be felt. As the government demonstrates the political will to drive progress, it must also implement a robust follow-up system – one that tracks what has been achieved after initiatives are launched and identifies any individuals or factors that may be hindering their success.
Make no mistake, some people are allergic to progress and the light of transparency. The president admitted as much at the November 10 event. He said: “We have trained every single local entity, one time, two times, three times, four times on the Single Window approval system. And yet, there is resistance.”
Readers would recall that the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window System was launched last year to remove the paperwork and hassle associated with permit applications for land development. The online system is designed to expedite the process by consolidating the services of multiple agencies required for the review and approval of the applicant’s request, and most importantly, eliminating opportunities for corruption and bias.
It is here that I posit that one of the biggest obstacles President Ali will face is individuals who will resist meaningful change. Yes, I am referring to the obstructionists who prefer the comfort and opacity that old systems offer.
Whatever the reasons for which they enjoy these broken regimes, the president must be seen as not only delivering thought-leadership and innovation, but also removing all obstacles that stand in the way of Guyana’s sprint to progress. The president understands this, as is evidenced by his political will, weekly charge to his government to stay the course, and warnings to the obstructionists.
But the Head of State will also need the help of the citizenry on the road ahead. Their role must not only include support for the heavy-lifting, but also calling out those who wish to derail us from this window of transformation, simply because the regression aligns with their selfish interests. Guyana’s transformation and the betterment of her people must trump all, not just in the five years ahead, but always!