GUYANA has made significant strides in every facet of life. This fact is acknowledged by most Guyanese; but there are some people who are so blinded by prejudice that they simply cannot accept and come to terms with this reality, even though it is staring them straight in the face.This reality dawned upon me during a recent visit to the Essequibo Coast.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of passengers and vehicles that boarded the Chinese- made roll-on roll-off vessels which are not only much more convenient compared to private vessels, but also much safer. Incidentally, the Chinese people are now celebrating the commencement of their New Year which may strike us in this part of the world as being somewhat unusual. China, like other cultures, has its own cultural peculiarities and boasts of a culture that is as rich and diverse as any other in the world. Every year is named after some animal, with this year being named “Year of the Snake”.  According to ancient Chinese folklore, snakes are symbolic of intelligence and prosperity and are therefore deserving of celebration.
This is somewhat of a digression, but the Chinese people must be commended for the contribution they are making to Guyana’s development and for the assistance they have rendered to the Guyana Government over the decades.  The two ferries mentioned earlier are only one of the several areas of assistance by China to the Guyanese people.
The Government of Guyana must be commended for putting such excellent services at the disposal of the commuting public, in particular those travelling from Parika to Supenaam and the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam.
I never seem able to get accustomed to the rough waters on the way to Supenaam, especially during high tides which I thought is not without some amount of risk to passengers travelling on speed boats. In this regard, the measures taken by the authorities to ensure passenger safety are commendable, especially in light of recent river tragedies.
River transportation, and for that matter transportation in general, has come a long way over the past two decades. This has considerably enhanced economic activities and social ties between the coast and the riverine communities. Parika is no longer the sleepy community it was a decade ago, but a hub of economic and social life.
This is one of several indicators of economic growth and social progress which some people conveniently choose to ignore.  The truth is that the country has experienced a massive infrastructural growth which is evident in all spheres of economic and social life.
Take the Essequibo Coast as an example. I recall going to that country prior to the assumption of office of the PPP/C administration in 1992. At Supenaam, where the speed boats usually land, except for a few mini-buses, there were hardly any private taxis plying the Supenaam-Parika route. Today, there are more taxis than available passengers. Not only was there a paucity of transportation means, but the road to Charity was in a terrible state. I remember some years ago travelling on the Suddie road when the vehicle got stuck on a muddy patch and had to be pulled by a tractor until it reached solid ground.
Those were difficult times which commuters were forced to endure due to the then PNC government’s poor road maintenance programme which resulted in huge craters on public roads. The distance which normally would take just over thirty minutes took almost two hours on a rainy day. Today, thanks to the PPPC administration, the entire stretch from Supenaam to Charity is now resurfaced and in good condition.
But it was not only the roads that were bad. The buildings were depressed for want of repairs and paint. Because of the low earning capacity of the population, people could not have afforded to do rehabilitation/expansion works on their homes. Even the few who could have afforded to do so were unable get paint and other building materials which were woefully in short supply due to foreign exchange constraints.
The problem essentially had to do with the lack of any real incentive to produce due to poor prices paid for farmers produce, in particular rice which is the dominant crop on the Essequibo Coast. Most of the lands were left uncultivated, in particular the small and medium sized farmers who were unable to continue cultivation due to high production costs and low prices for their paddy or rice.
All of this has now changed. Travelling along the Essequibo coast, there is hardly any uncultivated land to be seen, a sign of the changing times. The economy, and with it the quality of life, is clearly on the rebound, thanks to the several interventions made by this current administration to enhance the quality of life of the Guyanese people.