Guyana stands on the cusp of a transformation many countries can only dream of: in a few short years, it has evolved from a small, agrarian economy to a burgeoning petro-powered nation. The narrative of how Guyana manages this oil boom has two competing storylines. On one hand, the ruling PPP/C administration has laid out a bold vision to convert oil revenues into lasting human and physical capital – a vision steadily becoming reality. On the other hand, opposition voices and some skeptics warn of pitfalls and missed opportunities, often predicting doom. Halfway through this government’s term, the evidence strongly favors the optimists. Guyana is not squandering its oil bonanza; it’s leveraging it to diversify and future-proof the economy. The forward-looking policies of President Irfaan Ali’s team are positioning the country as a regional leader in energy, climate, and innovation – leaving detractors increasingly isolated in their pessimism.

Central to the government’s strategy is using oil wealth as a catalyst rather than a crutch. Nowhere is this clearer than in the energy sector. Even amid pumping over 380,000 barrels of oil per day, Guyana is aggressively pursuing non-oil energy projects – something almost unheard of in new petro-states. The landmark gas-to-energy project is one example: instead of simply exporting all gas for quick cash, the government insisted on bringing a portion onshore to cut electricity costs for businesses and households by half, and supply clean cooking gas countrywide. Simultaneously, the administration resurrected the Amaila Falls hydropower project and inked deals for solar farms and wind projects. The message is clear – oil is a means to an end, not the end itself. This nuanced approach confounded the opposition, which spent much of its tenure stalling on these very projects (notoriously cancelling Amaila in 2015). Now they criticize details of the gas project or renewable plans, but it’s lost on few that these initiatives are exactly what experts advise oil economies to do: invest in affordable energy to power broad development.

Beyond energy, the PPP/C’s opportunity agenda extends to people. Revenues are being plowed into education through a national scholarship program (over 39,000 online scholarships awarded so far) and the fulfillment of free university tuition from 2024. It was almost poetic when the opposition recently promised “free education if elected” – apparently unaware or unwilling to admit that the government had already delivered just that, starting January 2025. The move to abolish tuition at the University of Guyana, a promise from the PPP/C’s manifesto, materialized on schedule and is transformative for thousands of families. Similarly, healthcare is getting a boost: new hospitals are rising, and specialized services like cardiac surgery and dialysis are being expanded domestically. These are investments an opposition focused on austerity once deemed too costly; now they are changing lives daily. Critics ask, are such social spends sustainable? The government’s bet is that a healthier, smarter populace will sustain itself – and with non-oil GDP growing over 13% last year, largely due to construction and services, that bet looks sound.

On the international stage, Guyana’s proactive vision has earned respect. The country is now a climate finance pioneer, monetizing its rainforest’s carbon sequestration to fund indigenous development. Few would have imagined a petro-state also being lauded at climate forums, but Guyana pulled off that dual feat. The opposition’s refrain that the government is “selling out” to oil companies does not square with reality: yes, ExxonMobil is a major partner, but Guyana has extracted increasing local benefits (like a mandated local content policy and tougher terms in new oil blocks). Moreover, by diversifying partners – inviting investments from the US, Europe, India, and the Middle East – the PPP/C has avoided overreliance on any single geopolitical interest. This savvy positioning contrasts with the opposition era’s foreign policy, which alienated some traditional allies and left potential investments on the table (for instance, a major UK infrastructure grant was forfeited under the previous government’s watch due to inertia). Now, with President Ali engaging world leaders from Washington to Riyadh, Guyana’s profile has never been higher. The country is taken seriously – a place to invest, a voice in CARICOM, even a venue for international cricket finals.

No government is perfect, and the PPP/C still faces the monumental task of ensuring that rural poverty and inequality are tackled head-on. The opposition’s role in a democracy is to keep pressure on these fronts. But they do their cause no favors by being perpetual wet blankets even as positive changes abound. While opposition leaders lambast every new project with predictable negativity, the average citizen can see new roads, better healthcare, and tangible support from government programs. People who got house lots or small-business grants know these things weren’t flowing before. Voters, especially the young, are savvy – they sense the excitement of a country rising. Ultimately, that feeling of opportunity may be the ruling party’s greatest asset. It’s an optimism grounded in real progress. Unless the opposition finds a way to articulate a competing optimism – rather than dated doomsaying – they will continue to be eclipsed by a new Guyana narrative that is capturing hearts and minds: a nation finally cashing in on its promise, and determined not to look back.