A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament K. Sharma Solomon has criticised the Irfaan Ali Government’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis, arguing that billions of dollars in public spending and repeated relief measures have failed to deliver meaningful reductions in food prices for ordinary Guyanese.
In a statement issued on November 6, Solomon said the Government’s own economic figures raised serious questions about the effectiveness of its agricultural policies and management of the country’s growing oil wealth.
He argued that while the administration continues to promote cash grants, agricultural subsidies, tax concessions and other interventions, households remain burdened by high grocery bills and rising living costs.
Solomon’s criticism comes as the Government has acknowledged that prices remain high despite billions being spent on interventions. President Irfaan Ali has also recognised that cash grants alone cannot resolve the problem, pointing to the need to address the underlying costs of production, transportation and distribution.
However, Solomon questioned why these longstanding challenges remain unresolved after years of oil revenues and expanding national budgets.
“These ‘bring a quick smile’ initiatives, does just that. However, a cash grant does not make food cheaper, a visit to the Mackenzie market and that ‘smile is gone’.”
He maintained that temporary financial assistance might offer short-term relief but does not address the structural factors driving food prices upward.
“Guyanese need a sustained reduction in the cost of living, not periodic assistance to cope with prices that continue to rise. Guyanese don’t need ‘few, and in between smiles’.”
Solomon pointed to figures contained in the Government’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, which recorded a 6.7 per cent increase in food prices during the first six months of the year.
The report also showed that the other crops subsector contracted by 6.4 per cent, vegetable production declined by 4.2 per cent, and production of certain crops fell by 19.1 per cent. Overall agricultural, forestry and fishing activities contracted by 0.5 per cent.
He questioned how these results could be reconciled with the Government’s repeated claims of progress in agriculture, particularly given Guyana’s considerable land, water and natural resources.
The MP also challenged the administration’s promotion of farmers’ markets, shade houses, assistance to farmers and initiatives aimed at increasing domestic production of onions, potatoes, beans and poultry.
He argued that announcing projects was not equivalent to establishing an efficient agricultural system, pointing to farmers in Region Nine who continue to struggle to find markets for their produce.
Solomon questioned whether adequate improvements had been made in storage, cold-chain facilities, drainage and irrigation, farm-to-market transportation and distribution. He also demanded greater transparency about the gap between the prices farmers receive and what consumers ultimately pay.
The Mid-Year Report, he noted, recorded approximately $40.8 billion in expenditure on the agriculture sector during the first half of 2026.
“The Government must explain why, with this level of investment, food prices continue to place such pressure on households and important areas of domestic crop production have contracted. Guyanese deserve an account of what this spending has achieved, not another list of projects and fancy announcements.”
The scale of Guyana’s petroleum earnings provides important context for the debate. The country commenced commercial oil production in December 2019, following the development of the Liza Phase One project in the offshore Stabroek Block. Since then, Guyana has received approximately US$12.6 billion in petroleum revenues through September 2026, including profit oil and royalties, according to figures from the Bank of Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund reports. The Government has projected petroleum revenues of nearly US$6.5 billion for 2026.
Against this backdrop of substantial oil earnings, Solomon questioned why the country’s growing petroleum wealth has not translated into more affordable food and improved living conditions for ordinary Guyanese.
He also cited economic growth of 33.3 per cent during the first half of 2026 and non-oil growth of 10.1 per cent, arguing that such figures mean little to households unable to meet their everyday expenses.
“The average working class Guyanese cannot pay a grocery bill with fancy gaffs of GDP growth figures.”
He contended that the Government’s approach reflects inadequate national planning and coordination, arguing that the country needs stronger institutional capacity to anticipate food supply disruptions, reduce import dependence, coordinate agricultural production and improve the movement of goods from farms to consumers.
He further warned that Guyana was developing an oil-dependent economy while remaining vulnerable to the cost and supply of essential food items.
Solomon called for petroleum revenues to be used to strengthen agriculture, improve infrastructure, support farmers and protect household purchasing power.
He challenged the Government to answer three questions: what measurable reductions in food prices have resulted from billions spent on agricultural support and cost-of-living interventions; what progress has been made on announced investments in storage, transportation, drainage, irrigation and direct market access; and what proportion of petroleum revenues is being committed to a coordinated, long-term programme to reduce food costs and strengthen domestic production.
Solomon said the Government should not expect Guyanese to judge economic performance solely by the size of annual budgets or the country’s oil production figures.
“Our oil wealth must not simply make the Government richer or the national budget bigger. It must make food more affordable, strengthen our productive sectors and improve the lives of the working man and woman.”
He said that must be the standard by which the Government’s economic management is judged.
