The Coalition is preparing Guyanese for a smooth transition to a wealthy state

Dec 22, 2019 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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This Coalition Government came to power on a simple promise – to deliver a good life for all Guyanese, a simple promise that every citizen should have the opportunity to be the best s/he can be, ensuring job security, access to quality public services, and real social cohesion.
The country we inherited in 2015 was headed backwards. During their 23 years as the government, the PPP displayed an appalling level of dishonesty and incompetence. We saw violent crime increase, public infrastructure crumble, and education standards plummet down to the lowest it has ever been. Guyana fell from our high position among our Caribbean sister countries, and our citizens were no longer sought out because they were highly educated.
We did not create this mess that Guyana finds itself in, but we will take on the responsibility for fixing it and building a secure society. We have begun this long and arduous task that is going to take years before Guyana could be deemed a Developed Country with citizens having a guaranteed future.
Our newfound wealth from Oil is going play a major role in getting us there, and APNU+AFC pledges to every Guyanese to do everything humanly possible to avoid all ‘curses’ and wastage of any resource which are yours by all rights!
In four (4) years, we have made some significant steps towards this goal as follows:
• Installation of 1,500 free computers in 172 Community ICT Hubs across the country
• From the President 5 Bs Initiative (1,400 bikes, 29 buses and 10 boats) to get rural children to school, East Bank Berbice families have been able to save approx. $72,000 per day or $1.4M a year
• 15,000 jobs created by GO-Invest programmes
• 220 investment agreements signed in Agriculture, Tourism, Manufacturing, ICT, Energy and Mining, totaling G$250B
• Small Business Bureau supported over 200 businesses, created 535 jobs
• Launch of a Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure oil benefits all Guyanese
• Economic growth is at an all-time high – 4.1% 2018 w/ projected 4.8% 2019
Crime Fighting
• Serious crimes (reported) fallen by 30% from 2014
• Piracy controlled, fisher folk safer
• Emergency Response System expanded to an additional 52 stations
• Increase in narcotics confiscations – over 800 kg cocaine, 65,000 kg cannabis, 1,900 kg heroin seized in 2017 and 2018
• Guyana’s ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index rose from 119 to 93 since 2015
Infrastructure
• Access to electricity risen by 4% since 2014, new power plants in Anna Regina, Bartica and Canefield
• Main coastal highways expanded and upgraded to ease traffic congestion (More than $10B invested to ease traffic congestion
• Hinterland roads rebuilt
• Over 4,000 new house lots provided
• Installation of 21,700 LED streetlights across Guyana

Telecommunications
– One Laptop per Teacher Programme launched in October 2016 (8,060)

– National Broadband project: Began in 2018 to upgrade the eGovernment Network, to upgrade level of services in education, health, security, government administration, business, citizenship, immigration, etc.

– Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) closed for complete rehabilitation in Dec. 2016 – June 2018
– Re-paving and repainting interior and external walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows,
re-surfacing parking lots and driveways, water and power supply conduits, new electronic systems &

– Installation of modernized meeting rooms
– Successfully hosted 105 events YTD +15 to December 31, 2019
– Consolidated and operationalised ICT infrastructures along Coastal Guyana and interior regions incl. Lethem
– National Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NCIRT) established under the NDMA
– Network expanded to hinterland communities
– New 10G bps fibre optic ring built around Georgetown
– Over 154 engineers and technicians) trained to manage and maintain new & existing infrastructure
– 199 eForms developed for the online applications for public services
– Social Assistance Information (Pension Payment)System Upgraded
– Guyana Visa and Work Permit applications online
– New online portal for Citizen feedback and incident reporting to be launched Q1 2020

– Upgrade and modernization of management software for national grade assessment
Cyber Security
– Establishment of a Cyber Security technical working group
– Acquired Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) tools to collect, analyse, and correlate logs from our Unified Threat Management system to provide greater visibility and security alert information. Ministries and agencies connected to the network are alerted of any observed issues.

Centre of Excellence in IT
– Centre of Excellence in IT (CEIT) commissioned June 2019 under bilateral agreement between Governments of Guyana and India..
– 73 students enrolled for Certificate Course in Network Security, 29 for Certificate Course in Linux System Administration: 15 persons; Certificate Course in Data Communication and Networking
– 51 students enrolled for Advance Web Technologies & Information Technology

The Alliance for Change wishes every single Guyanese a very Merry Christmas. With your support in March 2020, we are guaranteed a prosperous New Year.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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