By Christopher Jones, Former Member of Parliament
Guyana is now one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. We hear the numbers every day: billions in oil revenue, billions in the Natural Resource Fund, record budgets, major contracts, new roads, hotels and investments. But most Guyanese do not live inside a GDP report. They live inside a household budget.
That is where the real test begins. After food, rent or mortgage, transportation, electricity, school expenses, medicine and other bills are paid, how much is left? Are families saving more? Can they handle an emergency without borrowing? Can a young couple realistically save for a home? Can parents support a child through university without putting the household under severe pressure?
Those are economic questions too, and for most people they matter far more than headline growth figures.
The same is true of wages. A worker may receive an increase and still feel no better off if food, transportation, housing and other costs rise alongside it. A household can have two people working and still have no meaningful savings. Employment does not automatically mean security.
Young people are also asking where they fit into this new economy. They hear about oil, construction, technology, logistics and foreign investment, but many are still trying to find stable work, training that leads somewhere and a clear path to a decent career. If Guyana is becoming richer, young people should not feel that migration is still the easiest route to opportunity.
Small businesses understand this better than anyone. A shopkeeper does not survive on GDP growth. She survives when customers have enough money to spend. A contractor grows when he can access financing, win work fairly and get paid on time. A farmer benefits when drainage, roads, transportation and markets improve his ability to produce and earn.
When households are under pressure, small businesses feel it immediately.
The same test must be applied outside Georgetown. If Guyana is becoming wealthy, then that progress should be visible in Linden, Berbice, Essequibo and the hinterland. A child’s future should not depend so heavily on geography, and access to reliable water, electricity, healthcare, roads and internet should not feel like a privilege determined by where someone lives.
This is why the national conversation has to change. The question is not only how much oil Guyana produces, how large the Budget is, or how fast GDP is growing. The question is whether ordinary people are moving forward with the country.
Can families save? Can young people build careers here? Can pensioners live with dignity? Can small businesses grow? Can parents provide for their children without constantly borrowing? Can somebody working an ordinary job realistically build an ordinary middle-class life?
Those are not unreasonable expectations in a country experiencing this level of national wealth.
Guyana should build roads, bridges, hospitals and new infrastructure. The country needs investment and growth. But development cannot be measured only by what government builds. It must also be measured by what families are able to build for themselves: a home, savings, a business, an education for their children and a retirement they do not have to fear.
So when Guyanese hear about another record-breaking year for the economy, every citizen has the right to ask one simple question: Is my family moving forward too?
If Guyana is becoming richer at a pace almost unmatched anywhere in the world, ordinary Guyanese should be able to see, feel and measure that progress in their own lives.
