Address by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana at the Flag-Raising Ceremony to mark the 56th Republic Anniversary of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana
The roar of a lion
The Chief Justice, the Speaker of the National Assembly, distinguished heads of our joint services, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
This evening, we gather once again in honour of our Republic.
Fifty-six years ago, our nation severed the remaining vestiges of colonial monarchy. We looked into the mirror of history and declared ourselves a Republic. This evening, as the Golden Arrowhead ascends the flagpole, with its ribbon of gold, green, white, red and black, it is only fitting that we ask ourselves: What is the state of that Republic? How well have we tended to its affairs?
I stand before you to declare, with confidence and with pride, that our Republic is thriving. It is a Republic that is robust in its foundations, radiant in its promise, and resolute in its purpose. It is a Republic that is in our good hands.
Look at our booming economy, where some nations see stagnation, we see soaring. For the year 2025, our economy grew by an astonishing 19.3%. This is not a fleeting windfall; it is the roar of a lion that has found its strength. This remarkable growth builds upon the last five years of record-breaking expansion. And even more commendable is that this growth has been broad-based.
It is not just one sector lifting the rest; it is a symphony of industry playing in perfect harmony. While our oil and gas sector rightly garners attention, look at the engine room of our nation! The non-oil economy grew by a staggering 14.3%. Agriculture, a traditional economic mainstay, expanded by 11.5%. Bauxite, once the backbone of our mining heritage, surged by 53.4%. Gold, the treasure beneath our soil rose by 11.6%.
Our manufacturing sector grew by 20%, while construction, the builder of our dreams, hammered out a phenomenal 31% growth. Our financial sector is at its soundest ever, with services growing by 16.9% and technical services by an incredible 35.7%. This, my people, is the picture of an economy that is not just hot, but healthy.
This phenomenal record is not a historical accident; it is the blueprint for our tomorrow, expected to continue through 2026 and beyond. Our economic fundamentals are solid. But we are not stopping there. We are modernizing our Republic. We are laying a digital backbone, wiring our nation for the future, ensuring that every Guyanese can participate in the digital economy of the future.
Our Republic is being made safer and more secure. A nation cannot build if it fears for its borders. Our valiant men and women in uniform stand vigilant, their capabilities boosted with unprecedented resources. And on the world stage, when it comes to the defence of our territory, we have assembled an able and capable team to argue the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award before the International Court of Justice. Let no one be mistaken: history and international law are on our side. Our borders are sacred, and we will defend them.
On that note, as a collective unit, one collective whole, the Guyanese people, we thank our men and women in uniform. We thank them again and again for their selfless service. Know that your home, your land, and your brothers and sisters hold you up, hold you up every day in strength, honour and dignity.
Within our borders, our Republic is becoming safer. A comparison of serious crime statistics between the periods 2016–2020 and 2021–2025 reveals a decisive and dramatic shift. In the earlier period, we averaged 2,827 serious crimes per year. Since 2021, that number has plummeted to just 1,441—an almost 50 per cent decline. Thank you to the men and women in uniform, and all those who form partnership with us to fight crime and to ensure that our communities are safer, our cities are safer, and to ensure that our people live in true love and true dignity, with safety as their friend.
We are not just building a security sector. We are building a secure security sector to secure, protect and prevent through a perfect blend of technology, human capital, intelligence and partnership. Those are the fundamentals. And on this note, I want to recognise members of the diplomatic community, and I want to thank them for their steadfast support for our country, our sovereignty and our territorial integrity.
Our Republic is putting its people to work to generate wealth. We do not believe in economic magic. We do not wave a wand and pretend that things will be honky-dory. That is the stuff of fairytales. We believe in the power of the human hand, the Guyanese mind, and the national spirit. A tomorrow that is future-proof, building future sectors with today’s investment, creating an environment that fosters innovation, creativity and human ingenuity. That is what will drive the future. That is what will drive our economy. That is where the new jobs, the high-skilled jobs, and the higher-paying jobs will be created, and we are positioning our Republic to be in front of this phase of international change and transformation.
Between 2020 and 2024, some 104,000 new jobs were created. Never in our history has there been such a surge in employment, placing disposable income directly into the hands of our people. Through our housing programme, we are not just giving shelter; we are giving equity. Through cash grants and tax reliefs, we are empowering citizens. When we say we are creating wealth, we mean wealth for the pensioner, the farmer, the small business owner, the public servants, the labourer, domestic workers and the new homeowner.
Walk with me onto the global stage. Our Republic is being respected the world over. Guyana is no longer a quiet footnote in international affairs. We are a leader in climate action, proving that development and conservation can coexist. We are propelling CARICOM’s drive for food security, because we believe a region that cannot feed itself cannot be truly sovereign. And as the world grapples to avoid an energy crisis, they are increasingly looking to us as a model for energy security. Guyana, my friends, is the rising sun in the hemisphere. We stand in the full glare of the world’s gaze, as a compelling example of the power of vision, economic prudence and good governance.
We are committed to ensuring that the growing prosperity must mean better lives for our citizens. We are enriching the lives of our people through targeted investments in education, forging the minds of tomorrow; in healthcare, healing the bodies of today; and in infrastructure, building the roads, bridges, buildings and ports that will catalyse production for generations. Through these investments in social services, we are doing more than just providing—we are actively reducing inequality and ensuring greater inclusivity. We are weaving a nation where no one is left behind.
We are building a Republic that is a portrait of its people. And that portrait remains unfinished until every face is painted with dignity. We are therefore empowering our Indigenous peoples so that they can claim their place in our nation. We are empowering our youth, the energy of this nation, to channel their creativity and passion into enterprises that will outlive us all. And we are empowering our women, the backbone of this nation, to break every ceiling, seize every opportunity, and lead us into a more secure future. This is our covenant: that no Guyanese—whether from the rivers of the interior, the classrooms of the coast, or the markets of our towns—will be left behind.
This is the Guyana we are building—inclusive, enriched, and empowered. But none of it would be possible, none of it would be real, without the cornerstone of our Republic: the sacred right of the people to choose their path.
The 2025 elections were not just a political event; they were the resounding affirmation of that cornerstone. We remain a democratic Republic, one where the people’s will is not just respected, but enshrined. That is the true expression of sovereignty—power flowing from you, the people, to those who serve. Our democracy is vibrant, it is alive, and it is the ultimate guardian of our freedom.
So, what is the state of our Republic? On this, its 56th anniversary, I say without fear of contradiction that our Republic is strong. It is secure. It is prosperous. It is respected. It is democratic.
But my dear brothers and sisters, my fellow Guyanese, there are two things that we must address that are important to this Republic, two things that no one can change for us. But we have to be determined as individuals to change it, to embrace it, to uplift it, to hold it. And these are two things I called upon you, every Guyanese, including myself, to look with a conscience and to ask ourselves, are we part of national pride? Are we part of building national pride? Are we part of enhancing national pride? And what is this national pride?
We must build a society where national pride is not a slogan shouted on national days, but a sacred trust lived every day. For national pride to be meaningful, we have to live it every day. We must lift this nation up every day. We must lift each other up every day. We must lift that Golden Arrowhead and our heads to the future with an understanding that national pride is compulsory for national building.
National pride is not for one of us: it is not for one party; it is for all of us. National pride is the essence of nationhood. National pride is the essence of citizenship. National pride is the essence of what makes us different. It is what makes us Guyanese: the pride that Guyana belongs to us, and the greatest honour to lift this beautiful country together.
National pride, a pride that is rooted in environmental stewardship, where we safeguard our rivers, forests, biodiversity and fields as fiercely as we guard our borders. National pride is about us, keeping our environment clean. It is about us presenting the cleanest Guyana, the safest Guyana, the most beautiful Guyana. It is about us showcasing a Guyana where the lives of its people are felt in its environment. The values of its people are felt in every corner of our country. The patriotism of its people is felt in every word we speak about our country and is felt every time we make a post about our country.
That national pride is non-negotiable, that national pride is for all of us. That weight of national pride is for all of us to carry equally, a pride grounded in shared prosperity, where growth is for all communities, where growth and development is for every segment of the Guyanese population, where every home, every village and every community can feel the impact of development, can have access to the services that the State offers in a way and manner that adds value to their life, to their families, and to their communities. A pride that blossoms in community harmony, where neighbourly love and national unity are the cornerstone of what makes us Guyanese, where our common heritage binds us, not blinds us, and where our shared protection of this land becomes a collective covenant.
These are the elements of national pride that are non-negotiable. These are the elements of national pride that must allow us to breathe what it means to be Guyanese, to inhale the freshness of what makes us Guyanese, the life, the values, the customs, the culture, the tradition of what makes us Guyanese.
And at the heart of the society, this future that we are building, at the heart of it must stand faith; belief in something greater and deeper, something greater and deeper than this life we have today, a republic that is grounded in faith or belief in God and the values that flow, values of empathy, compassion, gentleness and love for one another; these are not soft virtues. They are the steel beams of a strong nation. They are the steel beams of a strong nation. Empathy turns strangers into neighbours. Compassion transforms power into service. Gentleness tempers strength with wisdom. Love converts diversity into destiny. Let it be said of us that we did not merely inherit a republic. We made it better. Let it be known that we did not simply occupy a land, we lifted it, and let it be remembered that in building our nation, we build each other.
Let us, therefore, on the foundation of faith and in the bosom of national pride, build on this momentum. Let the farmer plant more, and the teacher inspire more. Let the nurse tend to the sick with renewed purpose. Let the police officer keep our streets safer, and the soldier defend our borders with strength. Let the housewife build her home with love and industry. Let the entrepreneur risk more, and the citizen care more. Together, we are the architects of this Republic, and together, we will build it higher than ever before with the grace of God.
As that flag reaches its peak today, let it not just be a symbol of where we have been, but a signal of where we are going. A Republic of builders. A Republic of achievers. A Republic of one people, one nation, one destiny.
Happy Republic Day, Guyana! May God bless you all, and may God bless our beloved Republic! I thank you; God bless you.