A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) will today stage a protest at 10:30 a.m. at the Square of the Revolution, demanding that the government immediately commit to a Christmas cash grant of no less than $150,000 for every Guyanese aged 18 and older. The demonstration comes amid mounting evidence that widespread poverty—now affecting a staggering 58% of the population, according to a recent Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report—continues to worsen despite Guyana’s historic oil revenues.
During the election campaign, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) promised a $200,000 Christmas cash grant, a commitment the main opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), is now demanding the government honour.
Despite Guyana becoming one of the world’s fastest-growing oil economies—with multi-billion-dollar revenues expected to climb even higher as new FPSOs come on stream—most citizens have yet to feel the benefits of the country’s petroleum boom.
There is a widespread view that the PPP/C government, which has managed the oil sector from its inception, has failed to translate Guyana’s massive petroleum wealth into broad-based social protection, even as 58% of the population lives in poverty and 32% in abject poverty.
The protest marks a defining moment in the growing confrontation between ordinary citizens and the government. With such severe levels of deprivation, APNU argues that public demonstrations have become necessary to hold the administration accountable for its neglect of the country’s most vulnerable.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Lead APNU Member of Parliament Terrence Campbell underscored the desperation in many communities, noting that rising living costs, weak public infrastructure and persistent deprivation—especially in rural and hinterland regions—have pushed families to the breaking point. Campbell said “citizens urgently require Christmas relief” and insisted that the government’s reluctance to commit to a grant is indefensible.
The coalition maintains that the proposed $150,000 grant is both timely and financially feasible. In 2024, the government issued a $100,000 cash transfer to adults; since then, APNU said, population growth and sharply increasing revenues justify an upward revision. Mid-year revenues for 2025 increased by $497.3 billion, a 44.7% jump compared to 2024. Total revenues for 2025 are projected at $1.024 trillion, far surpassing the $784.6 billion recorded last year.
APNU further noted that with the early startup of the Yellowtail FPSO and expected increases in oil production, actual government income could exceed current estimates. The coalition calculates that some 604,000 citizens will qualify for the grant by December 2025, meaning the total cost—$90.6 billion—is manageable within projected revenues.
Citing the IDB findings directly, APNU argued that the cash grant is essential for families unable to meet basic daily needs. Beyond providing relief, the coalition maintains that injecting cash into households will also stimulate economic activity, boost local demand and support job creation. “This is not merely an expenditure it is an investment in the wellbeing and future of the Guyanese people,” APNU said, urging the government to immediately approach Parliament for approval.
The coalition also criticised what it called “ad hoc public pronouncements” by PPP/C officials—statements that raise public expectations without clarifying eligibility rules, timelines or funding sources. According to APNU, this confusion is a direct result of poor governance and a failure to responsibly manage national resources.
“Any delay or confusion rests solely with the PPP/C’s failure to publish clear rules, timelines and appropriations,” the statement declared, adding that “the money belongs to the people of Guyana not the government or the ruling party.”
APNU’s protest today thus reflects a broader national sentiment: that in a country flush with oil wealth yet mired in poverty, citizens are increasingly forced to mobilise publicly to demand transparency, fairness and immediate relief from their government.
