Dear Editor,
I write to express grave concern over the Government’s recent distribution of cash grants, which appears not only discriminatory in practice but also deeply troubling from the standpoint of public financial management and constitutional accountability.
Over the past weekend, reports emerged of cash payments being made to fisherfolk in Regions Two and Five. The public is entitled to know precisely where these monies originated, especially given that there is no approved budgetary allocation for 2026, government accounts were formally closed as at December 31, 2025, and all unspent balances should have been returned to the Consolidated Fund, in keeping with established financial regulations.
In the absence of an approved Appropriation Act for 2026, any expenditure, particularly cash transfers; raises serious questions of legality. This is not a trivial accounting matter; it strikes at the heart of parliamentary control over public finances. Equally concerning is the apparent silence of the Auditor General, whose constitutional role includes safeguarding transparency, legality, and accountability in the use of public funds. The public deserves clarity on whether these expenditures were authorised, under what legal instrument, and from which account they were drawn.
The discriminatory nature of these payments must also be addressed. While select groups received cash grants, other categories of workers were denied any bonus during the recently concluded Christmas holiday, notwithstanding repeated public assurances and campaign rhetoric that “Guyanese will have a beautiful Christmas.” Such selective generosity undermines equity, fuels social division, and reinforces perceptions of politically motivated distribution of state resources.
Moreover, these cash grants do not stand alone. A pattern is emerging in which the Government continues to undertake new capital and quasi-capital activities, including road works, enhancements to open spaces around Stabroek Market, and various cash transfer initiatives, that were never approved in the 2025 National Budget, which already stood at a staggering $1.383 trillion. These activities cannot reasonably be described as routine or unavoidable expenditures; they are new initiatives that should have been subjected to parliamentary approval.
It is therefore my hope and expectation that when the National Assembly next convenes, and any Contingency Fund withdrawals or Supplementary Financial Papers are presented, members of the Opposition will scrutinise the figures rigorously and ask the hard but necessary questions on behalf of the Guyanese people.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPc) Government has, with increasing frequency, flagrantly flouted the fiscal laws of this nation, weakening public trust in governance and eroding respect for parliamentary oversight. Accountability cannot be optional, and the rule of law cannot be applied selectively.
Guyana’s democracy depends not only on elections, but on adherence to constitutional principles, transparent budgeting, and equal treatment of all citizens. Anything less sets a dangerous precedent.
Yours truly,
Annette Ferguson
