New Year’s Address to the Nation By His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana
My fellow Guyanese, Happy New Year!
Wherever this New Year finds you, in your homes and communities, on our rivers and coastlands, in our hinterland villages, on duty guarding our borders, patrolling our streets, caring for the sick, and to those across the seas who carry Guyana in their hearts as part of our cherished diaspora, I greet you with gratitude, affection, and pride.
Tonight, I speak to you not only as your President, but as a fellow Guyanese, one who believes deeply in the strength of our people and the promise of our land.
To every citizen, in every village, town, city, and settlement, I extend my warmest wishes for peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead.
As the first light of 2026 rises over our rivers and plains, I invite you to pause, just for a moment, and reflect on how far we have come.
Guyana’s story is no longer written in the language of potential alone. It is now written in the language of progress made real of opportunity seized, of a nation stepping confidently into its moment. We are not merely turning a page; we are writing a new chapter in our history. And its opening lines are bold.
In 2025, amid global uncertainty and the cloud hanging over the Essequibo region of our beloved land, we did not falter. We moved forward—steadily, purposefully, together.
Our economy expanded with remarkable momentum, but more importantly, growth was converted into tangible improvements in the daily lives and future security of our people.
It was seen in new schools and modern classrooms welcoming our children. In clean water flowing from new treatment plants and wells. In increased incomes that strengthened household security. In hospitals, expanding and modernising to care for our people. In safer streets, where serious crime receded. In wider opportunities for women and young people. In improved support for pensioners and persons with disabilities. In new investments, meeting our energy needs. And, in the Demerara Harbour Bridge, standing as a symbol of a more connected nation, open to all.
The Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge is a symbol of this new Guyana. It is a symbol of the transformation that is taking place.
These are not statistics or slogans. They are the lived experience of a country on the move.
That shared journey found its clearest affirmation in the will of the people.
In 2025, Guyana held general and regional elections that reaffirmed to the world that our democracy is alive, resilient, and strengthening. The results delivered a clear mandate to continue the work of inclusive growth, shared prosperity, national transformation, and unity.
Now, as we look ahead, the horizon before us is wide and filled with possibility. In 2026, we anticipate continued strong economic growth, but our focus is deeper than numbers.
This year, we will change how growth serves you. Public services will be improved through a national digital backbone, making interactions with government simpler, faster, and more transparent. Services will continue to move closer to communities, so efficiency is not an aspiration, but a daily reality.
This year, national prosperity will translate more directly into personal and community advancement.
We will increase disposable income through direct support, higher wages, and reduced taxation. A modern national E-ID system will simplify access to services.
We will accelerate housing development, building a nation of homeowners grounded in security and dignity.
Communities will benefit from better roads, lighting, playgrounds, and sporting facilities. We will strengthen manufacturing, expand tourism, and support enterprise. Our Orange Economy will grow as we invest in artists and cultural entrepreneurs—turning creativity into sustainable livelihoods.
We will bring gas to shore to generate cleaner, cheaper electricity. New hospitals and water treatment plants will expand healthcare and water access. Road safety will be improved through firm enforcement and modern technology. And our Disciplined Services will receive greater resources, training, and technology to protect our people and our borders.
These are not promises for some distant future. These are plans already in motion.
But no nation can truly rise unless its young people rise with it.
To the young people of Guyana, I say this plainly: you matter, you are needed, and you belong at the centre of our national life. Your energy, creativity, discipline, and ambition are strengths to be developed.
We are committed to bringing our youth fully into the mainstream of national life through education and skills, through entrepreneurship and employment, through culture, sport, technology, and service.
We call you to a life of productivity not as a burden, but as a pathway to dignity, independence, and prosperity. In building your future, you are building Guyana’s future. And this nation will walk with you as you do so.
In this spirit, I make a personal pledge to you, the people of Guyana. As your President, I pledge to govern with integrity, discipline, and compassion. To listen before I decide, to act with fairness, and to place the national interest above all else.
I pledge to guard our resources carefully, to expand opportunity relentlessly, and to ensure that development reaches every region and every community. I pledge to defend our sovereignty, protect our people, and uphold the peaceful resolution of all matters in accordance with international law while working every day to unite, not divide, our nation. I will hold myself to that pledge, as my commitment to you, the beautiful people of Guyana.
As we move forward, optimism must be matched with vigilance. The world remains unsettled, and tensions beyond our borders can test even strong nations.
We will therefore remain prudent, prepared, and alert, protecting our homeland, supporting our security services, and preserving peace through diplomacy, readiness, partnership with our allies and national unity.
It is because we are prepared that we move forward with confidence, not fear.
So let us enter this New Year not with timid hope, but with strong conviction. Let us recognise that we are no longer waiting for opportunity, we are shaping it.
Bring discipline to your dreams, purpose to your labour, and faith to your efforts, knowing that your country is committing its resources, its energy, and its resolve to uplift you.
Together, we have already proven our strength. Now let us prove our endurance. Let us build not only wealth, but comfort; not only success, but legacy. Let the future not be a distant promise. Let it be the firm ground beneath our feet on which we take, together, every step to prosperity and a better life for all.
As we move forward, let optimism be our compass and unity our shield. Division weakens; unity builds. Choose cooperation over cynicism, belief over doubt, and purpose over fear.
To every Guyanese, I say this: as our nation rises, may your aspirations rise with it. May 2026 be the year your plans take root and flourish.
May you find clarity in your path, courage in your journey, and reward in your efforts. With faith in each other and confidence in our direction, there is no summit beyond our reach.
Onward, upward—together to a brighter, stronger, and more prosperous 2026.
Happy New Year, and may God bless each of you and our beloved Guyana.
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