The Guyana Press Association (GPA) has expressed deep concern over restrictions imposed on media coverage of the ongoing 2026 Budget Debates in the National Assembly, describing the measures as an attack on press freedom.
Parliamentarians gathered today as the National Assembly commenced debate on the $1.558 trillion Budget at 2:00 p.m., with the Opposition set to deliver its first substantive scrutiny of the fiscal plan. The 2026 Budget — the largest in Guyana’s history — was presented by the government last week and now enters detailed examination in Parliament.
In a statement, the GPA said only five reporters are being allowed into the Parliamentary Dome at any one time, with journalists required to lodge identification before access is granted. This represents a significant reduction from previous years, when up to 17 reporters were accommodated within Parliament Buildings to cover sittings. The association said it was “difficult to comprehend why, in a larger space, fewer reporters are now permitted.”
The GPA also criticised the absence of a direct camera feed from inside the Dome. Media houses, it said, have instead been told they will be provided with an online link from the Department of Public Information (DPI), which has proven unreliable due to frequent audio breaks and interruptions.
“An online link cannot be considered a direct feed, as it does not provide continuous, unfiltered access to parliamentary proceedings,” the association stated.
Founded in 1945, the Guyana Press Association is the country’s main representative body for journalists and media organisations and one of the oldest press advocacy groups in the English-speaking Caribbean.
A free and independent media is essential to a democratic society, as it informs citizens, safeguards freedom of expression, and holds those in authority accountable. It warned that restrictions on media access weaken transparency and undermine the public’s right to be informed.
“We strongly condemn this edict from the Speaker and view it as a direct attack on freedom of the press, a hallmark of any democratic society,” the statement said.
The GPA has called on Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, to urgently review the measures and restore full access for the press, in keeping with democratic norms and the principles of open governance.
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