The opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) today strongly criticised the government’s $1.558 trillion 2026 National Budget, contending that it “does not put people first” and warning that its priorities will lead to increased poverty in Guyana.
In a statement responding to the budget presented by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, APNU said it was “interesting” that the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) adopted the theme “Putting People First,” which APNU used during the 2025 General and Regional Elections, despite campaigning under its own slogan, “Forward Together for a Better Guyana.”
“They are probably ashamed since they know that they are not moving ‘Forward Together for a Better Guyana,’” APNU said, adding that while it welcomed the acknowledgement of its people-centred approach, “when you scrutinize the budget, they continue to put themselves, families, friends, and favourites first.”
APNU argued that if the government were serious about prioritising people, the budget would have included adequate measures to address the high cost of living, poverty, livable incomes and corruption. “Budget 2026 fails to deal with these critical issues that would put people first,” the partnership stated.
The opposition took particular issue with the allocation of 50.04 per cent of the budget to infrastructure development, describing it as a continuation of the PPP/C’s long-standing focus. While acknowledging the need for infrastructure, APNU said it should not come “at the expense of the development of the people of Guyana,” calling the government’s claims of a human development focus “spurious.”
According to APNU, the heavy emphasis on infrastructure benefits the political elite and enables corruption and wastage. The party cited comparative data on road construction costs, claiming that the Ogle-to-Eccles bypass in Guyana costs US$17.15 million per kilometre, compared to US$11.94 million per kilometre for the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway Extension to Manzanilla in Trinidad and Tobago. “This means that Guyana pays US$5,213,547.55 per kilometer more than in Trinidad and Tobago,” APNU said, calling it “unmistakable evidence of incompetence, corruption and wastage.”
The party also criticised the absence of concrete anti-corruption measures, noting that despite President Irfaan Ali’s statements on the issue, “there are no measures in this budget that look to address these critical questions of incompetence, wastage and widespread corruption.”
On wages and social support, APNU described the proposed nine per cent salary increase for public servants as inadequate and called for a minimum 25 per cent increase. “Why are we as a country earning large sums from oil but giving pittance to the poor and working people?” the statement asked.
APNU said increases to social programmes fell far short of what is needed. The Because We Care cash grant rose by $10,000, while old age pensions increased by $5,000 to $46,000 per month, despite a prior presidential commitment of $60,000. Public assistance increased by $3,000 to $25,000 per month, which APNU described as “a pittance,” while Pathway workers will receive $50,000 monthly, an increase of $10,000.
The coalition also criticised the reduction of the one-off cash transfer from $200,000 to $100,000, and dismissed the $10,000 increase in the income tax threshold as insufficient relief amid rising living costs.
APNU calculated that the measures aimed at citizens amount to about $78 billion, or roughly five per cent of the total budget, while the government’s claimed $100 billion in “fiscal empowerment” programmes represents just 6.4 per cent of total spending. “Less than 7 cents of every budget dollar go to the people,” the party said.
The opposition also questioned allocations under the Ministry of Finance, noting that only $100 million was set aside nationwide to improve living conditions for vulnerable groups, compared to $900 million for the Men on Mission programme. APNU demanded “an immediate forensic audit” of Men on Mission, describing it as “another slush fund for corruption and wastage of taxpayers’ money.”
The partnership further criticised the lack of detailed measures to reduce the high cost of living, pointing out that the phrase “putting people first” appears only once in the budget, while “infrastructure” is mentioned more than 30 times. APNU maintained that at least $235.5 billion, or 30 per cent of the infrastructure budget, would be lost to corruption and wastage.
On agriculture, APNU noted an allocation of $113.2 billion, or seven per cent of the budget, but questioned its effectiveness in reducing living costs and promoting food security across all regions, including the hinterland.
The statement also highlighted what it described as excessive spending on government meals and refreshments, noting that expenditure rose from a budgeted $786 million to $913 million in 2025, with $908 million allocated for 2026, compared to $100 million for community improvement.
APNU expressed concern about a $5.6 billion increase in the Local Government budget to $19.8 billion, warning that opposition-controlled councils may continue to face interference in managing allocated resources.
“This 2026 budget puts contracts first for the governing elite, their families, friends, and favourites, not the poor and vulnerable citizens,” APNU said, calling on Guyanese to “scrutinize not the slogans, but the numbers.”
The coalition concluded that Budget 2026 “does not put people first,” describing it as “the same old play book of enriching the elite… while resulting in increased poverty in Guyana.”
