Guyana’s upcoming 60th Independence anniversary will be marked as a major homecoming for the Guyanese diaspora and a launchpad for large-scale investment in the country’s Orange Economy, President Irfaan Ali has announced.
Speaking during an in-depth interview with female journalists and students on Tuesday, President Ali said the milestone anniversary will be used to drive investment in culture, tourism, film, entertainment, and national infrastructure, positioning creativity and heritage as key pillars of economic growth.
The Orange Economy is the part of the economy driven by creativity, culture, and the arts, where ideas and artistic expression create value and income. It includes sectors like music, film, fashion, design, cultural tourism, and digital content, offering opportunities for jobs, innovation, and national branding. President Ali said Guyana’s 60th anniversary will harness this potential to promote economic diversification and wealth creation for the country.
“Our 60th anniversary gives us an enormous opportunity to kickstart investment in the Orange Economy,” Ali said. “I want it to be known as an era in which our culture, food, people, artists and ecosystem are deployed at a scale and magnitude never seen in this region before.”
Guyana achieved independence on May 26, 1966, under the People’s National Congress (PNC) government led by Forbes Burnham. The 60th anniversary, President Ali said, will be remembered as a defining moment when “mindset met transformation,” ushering in a new phase of people-centred development and long-term wealth creation.
According to the President, government plans include heavy investment in developing a local film industry, the creation of entertainment hubs, and structured income opportunities for artists. These initiatives will be supported by expanded tourism offerings and efforts to attract major cruise lines to Guyana.
He also outlined plans for the redevelopment of the entire Georgetown seawall, along with new green spaces, walking trails, and curated cultural and heritage tours, including island and hinterland experiences.
As part of a broader environmental and aesthetic upgrade of the capital, President Ali said Lamaha Street will be transformed into a living historical corridor where citizens and visitors can “walk through the history of Guyana, pre-independence.”
The President urged the private sector to channel a significant portion of its corporate social responsibility spending this year toward supporting the Orange Economy, noting that the anniversary celebrations will be event-packed and nationally inclusive, with culture, tourism and heritage at the forefront.
“Our 60th anniversary will be a grand homecoming, bringing our brothers and sisters from the diaspora back home to celebrate, reconnect and invest,” he said.
Beyond the celebratory events, President Ali stressed that the anniversary year will reinforce a national shift toward productivity and wealth creation, cautioning against complacency during a period of rising incomes.
“Wealth creation is not accidental. It is planned at the national level through policies and programmes, but it is felt at the community level,” he said, underscoring the need to maximise productive time and earning potential as the country advances economically.
The President added that the 60th anniversary will symbolise the beginning of the next 100 years of generational development, anchored by major infrastructure projects including new airports at Ogle and Lethem, upgraded hinterland airstrips, gas-to-energy facilities in Berbice, fertiliser and glass factories, data centres, and the emergence of Guyana as an energy and logistics hub.
“We want bold, innovative wealth creation, not in a shy way,” President Ali said. “This is about building a strong, beautiful economy that every Guyanese can be proud of.”
He said the anniversary will stand as a historic turning point — a moment when people, technology, and policy converge to shape a new Guyana defined by opportunity, ownership, and shared prosperity.
