60th Independence Anniversary – a Grand Homecoming and a Launchpad for Guyana’s Creative Industry – President Ali

By: DPI | Photos courtesy: DPI

Guyana’s 60th Independence anniversary will be observed as a grand homecoming for the Guyanese diaspora and a bold launchpad for the country’s Orange Economy, with major investments planned in culture, tourism, film, entertainment and national infrastructure, President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced.

Speaking during an in-depth interview with female journalists and students on Tuesday, President Ali said the 60th anniversary will be remembered as a defining moment when “mindset met transformation”, unleashing a new phase of people-centred development and long-term wealth creation.

“Our 60th anniversary gives us an enormous opportunity to kickstart investment in the Orange Economy,” the President 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.”

President Ali revealed that the government will invest heavily in developing a local film industry, entertainment hubs and structured income opportunities for artists, while expanding Guyana’s tourism product and courting major cruise lines.

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Plans include the redevelopment of the entire Georgetown seawall, the creation of green spaces and walking trails, and curated cultural and heritage tours, including island and hinterland experiences.

He said Lamaha Street will be transformed into a living historical corridor, where citizens and visitors can “walk through the history of Guyana, pre-independence,” as part of a broader environmental and aesthetic upgrade of Georgetown.

The president has also urged the private sector to direct much of its corporate social 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,” President Ali said.

Beyond celebration, President Ali emphasised that the anniversary year will reinforce a national mindset shift toward productivity and wealth creation, cautioning against reduced work 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, emphasising the need to maximise productive time and earning potential as Guyana advances economically.

President Ali said the 60th anniversary will also symbolise the beginning of the next 100 years of generational development, anchored by new airports at Ogle and Lethem, upgraded hinterland airstrips, gas-to-energy facilities in Berbice, fertiliser and glass factories, data centres and an emerging energy and logistics hub.

“We want bold, innovative wealth creation, not in a shy way,” the President said. “This is about building a strong, beautiful economy that every Guyanese can be proud of.”

He said the 60th Independence Anniversary will stand as a historic turning point, a moment when people, technology and policy converged to shape a new Guyana defined by opportunity, ownership and shared prosperity.