Thousands of supporters rallied for President Irfaan Ali as his PPP/C is expected to win the general election amid an oil-fueled economic boom. The 2015 offshore crude discovery has driven GDP to almost $26bn, nearly five times the level five years earlier, and output is projected to hit 1.3 million barrels per day by 2027. Visible infrastructure projects include widened highways, a new four-lane bridge, schools, hospitals, hotels and malls. The government announced a one-off payment of 100,000 Guyanese dollars to adults. Opposition voters contend infrastructure spending has not sufficiently eased everyday expenses or improved overall quality of life.
Jubilation was in the air as thousands of horn-tooting, flag-waving, red-shirt-clad supporters of Guyana's president, Irfaan Ali, made their way to a recent rally. Their party is predicted to easily win Monday's general election on the back of an oil boom, which has helped transform the country into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. But opposition voters say the government's infrastructure-heavy spending spree has not done enough to address mounting everyday expenses and improve citizens' quality of life.
Guyana has seen staggering growth in the five years Ali's People's Progressive party/Civic (PPP/C) has been in power thanks to the oil boom that is slated to reach 1.3m barrels per day by the end of 2027. In 2015, huge deposits of crude were discovered off Guyana's coast, transforming the fortunes of what was once among South America's poorest countries.
Driving through the capital, Georgetown, the transformation is already visible, with widened highways and a towering new four-lane bridge spanning the Demerara River. New schools, state-of-the-art public hospitals, hotels and malls have gone up, with more under construction. Last year, Ali announced that 100,000 Guyanese dollars (355) would be paid to any Guyanese citizen over the age of 18 with a valid passport or ID card.
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