In what many have viewed as an overtly political move, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo used a ceremony meant to honour the late party leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, at Babu Jaan on March 23, 2025, to make a provocative pitch to voters ahead of the upcoming elections.
Jagdeo, who is also Vice President, promised that, if the PPP wins a second term in office, more cash grants will be distributed to Guyanese citizens. His remarks, widely seen as an attempt to buy votes, have triggered fresh concerns over the lack of transparency in the distribution of such funds.
Jagdeo’s statement, “You will get your cash grants in the future too,” came as he addressed a crowd at the PPP’s gathering in Berbice, signaling that the controversial cash grant initiative would continue should the party secure another term.
Akin to a pie-in-the-sky tactic Jagdeo, proclaimed “Just imagine the next term in office how glorious that will be.” The move to continue cash grants has become a hallmark of the PPP’s pre-election campaign, but many citizens view the initiative as an electioneering tool designed to sway voters. Jagdeo’s announcement was not just a promise for the future, but a direct appeal to the electorate ahead of a crucial election cycle. It raised the suspicion that the government may be attempting to use taxpayer money to create an artificial sense of goodwill as it heads into the polls.
Analysts see this as diverting attention from serious issues like rising poverty and growing corruption, which many argue the PPP has failed to address effectively. The World Bank in a recent fact sheet indicates that despite Guyana’s status as the fastest-growing economy and one of the richest nations per capita, approximately half of the population lives on just US$5.50 a day, an alarming statistic that highlights the growing disparity in the country. In 2024 Guyana scored worse on the Transparency International Corruption Index, flagging the country amongst the most corrupt in the world.
The significant gap between the government’s boast of economic growth and the reality on the ground, where many struggle to meet basic needs, is startling.
Former Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader, Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan has long called for greater transparency in the distribution of cash grants. He had urged the government to create a public registry to track the recipients of these grants. Ramjattan warned that without such a system, the public could not be sure that the money is being distributed equitably or that it is not being misused for political purposes. To date, the government has ignored the calls, further eroding trust in the integrity of the programme.
Adding to concerns, the government’s failure to properly account for the multiple disbursements of cash grants and alleviate poverty leaves many questioning how the country’s wealth is being spent. “The one-off cash grant is a band-aid to an economic sore that is oozing and needs surgical attention,” one analyst commented, referring to the deeper structural issues plaguing the economy. Without addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality, analysts argue, cash grants merely serve as temporary fixes that ultimately do little to address the systemic problems.
Jagdeo also outlined plans to invest in financial instruments that would allow citizens to invest their cash grants in secure investments with guaranteed returns. While such proposals may sound appealing, they raise further concerns about the government’s ability to manage such schemes transparently and effectively, given its lack of accountability in other areas.
Without the necessary reforms to address the country’s poverty rate and improve government accountability, analysts warn that the nation may be heading into another term of missed opportunities and political manipulation.
