A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), at its press conference today, raised sweeping concerns about what it described as systemic corruption and significant discrepancies uncovered during the examination of the 2026 Budget Estimates, arguing that persistent irregularities in public financial management threaten accountability and good governance.
In the statement read by parliamentarians Saiku Andrews and Sherod Duncan, the APNU said its Members of Parliament “effectively dissected the budget” during debates in the National Assembly and exposed “a troubling pattern of financial irregularities, missing reports, unexplained allocations, and deliberate opacity in the management of billions of dollars in public funds.”
“It has become unmistakably clear during the 2026 Budget Estimates review in the National Assembly that corruption under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is not episodic. It is systemic. It is historic. It is present. If left unchecked, it will define the future governance of our Republic,” APNU said.
Among the concerns highlighted was the Men on Mission programme, budgeted at G$900 million, for which the opposition said no reports outlining measurable outcomes or expenditure breakdowns were laid in Parliament for 2023, 2024 or 2025. The absence of documentation, reportedly attributed to an “unfortunate error,” was described by APNU as unacceptable for a programme of that scale.
The partnership also pointed to the Office of the Commissioner of Information, stating that despite receiving G$35 million annually in compensation, the office has not submitted required reports to Parliament for more than a decade. “Ten years of non-compliance. This is not a clerical lapse; it is a structural breakdown in statutory accountability,” the release stated.
APNU further raised concerns over a reported G$100 million owed by the government to a private news entity, noting that no specific budget line item had been identified for repayment. The party argued that the situation reflects “informational control” that weakens media independence and democratic oversight.
The opposition also alleged inequitable access to state-owned media, including the National Communications Network (NCN), contending that government-funded outlets provide extensive coverage of the administration while limiting access for opposition voices.
APNU cited what it described as a duplication at Mahaicony, where a guard hut already completed has reportedly reappeared in the 2026 estimates as a new allocation request — an occurrence the party said suggests either “gross incompetence or deliberate padding of estimates.”
Fiscal imbalances were also highlighted in the agriculture sector, where G$650 million was allocated to the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agricultural Development Authority, yet only G$1.7 million was earmarked to address G$7.9 million owed in rates and taxes to the Union/Naastigheid NDC. APNU said this represents “fiscal strangulation of local government organs by central authority.”
The Guyana Sugar Corporation’s financial position was also flagged, with APNU noting that GUYSUCO owes G$2 billion to the National Insurance Scheme while receiving an G$8.4 billion subsidy this year. The party argued that continued state transfers without structural reform expose workers’ long-term benefits and reflect “the repeated funding of failure.”
Additional concerns were raised about infrastructure planning, including a G$500 million allocation by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to begin construction of a hostel based on preliminary sketches rather than finalized designs — a move APNU warned could lead to cost overruns and supplemental funding requests.
On the gas-to-energy project, the opposition referenced the Prime Minister’s admission that initial soil testing was inconclusive and further assessments would be required, contending that due diligence should precede major infrastructure commitments.
The Public Works Ministry also came under scrutiny over the Berbice River Bridge, with APNU noting that no subsidy allocation was provided despite the bridge becoming toll-free in August 2025, even as government signalled its intention to purchase the facility ahead of the 2027 transfer date. The party said the rationale for accelerating the acquisition remains unclear.
Questions were similarly raised about a G$1.5 billion subsidy to the Transport and Harbours Department without a clear allocation for fuel and lubricants, despite the MV Hercules consuming more than G$73 million in fuel during 2025. APNU also cited the absence of detailed disclosure regarding vessel operating contracts.
In another project, the party highlighted a discrepancy between a stated project cost of G$19.6 billion, an awarded contract sum of G$15.8 billion and reported disbursements of G$16.6 billion, arguing that the lack of clarity between overall costs and contract values undermines public confidence.
APNU further criticised the absence of clearly articulated risk-sharing arrangements for the proposed Corentyne River Bridge with Suriname and called for an investigation into allegations by contractor Jackson Nevins concerning the Hosororo Secondary School project.
“What emerges from the 2026 Budget Estimates is a consistent pattern: missing reports, duplicated allocations, unexplained disbursements, underfunded statutory obligations, subsidies without reform, incomplete due diligence, and opaque contracting,” the release stated.
APNU reiterated its commitment to parliamentary oversight and called for full statutory reporting, strengthened procurement systems, transparent investigations into allegations of misconduct and institutional reforms to ensure accountability keeps pace with Guyana’s expanding fiscal capacity.
“The 2026 Budget has already been passed. What remains is whether its execution will continue along this same path—or whether accountability will finally assert itself,” the partnership said.
