House approves $18.8B Financial Paper for development works

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh today received approval in the National Assembly for Financial Paper Number 2 of 2025 totalling $18.8 billion of advances made from the Contingencies Fund that catered for developmental works countrywide and other initiatives during the latter period of 2025.

President Irfaan Ali recently pointed out that with the renewed and expanded mandate of the people bestowed upon him and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in the recently concluded September 1, 2025 elections his solemn purpose was to share government’s vision and plans that would guide the nation over the next five years and this was done through Budget 2026 which builds on the historic achievements of the past five years. The President had also noted that government’s vision is bold and grounded in service and is a vision of a Guyana that works for its people. He noted however, that vision without action is only words and this was why government was moving with urgency and resolve, turning plans into projects, promises into performance and hope into reality-delivering tangible results to the Guyanese people now, for the next five years, and beyond.

It was in this regard that government moved immediately to continue various developmental works in several communities countrywide.

The financial paper catered for $10.5 billion under the Ministry of Public Works for the provision of additional resources to execute the Ministry’s expanded work programme such as highway improvement on the East Coast of Demerara, miscellaneous roads and drainage, hinterland roads, sea and river defence works and works on stellings and government buildings.

Meanwhile, under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the financial paper made provision for additional resources for the payment of Old Age Pensions and Public Assistance to the tune of $5.4 billion and $1.4 billion was catered for under the Ministry of Education for the provision of additional resources to facilitate an expanded work programme specifically dietary for primary education.

Under the Ministry of Housing, the financial paper provided $640 million toward additional resources to facilitate an expanded work programme in relation to hinterland water supply, water service expansion and management.

The financial paper also catered for $548.8 million to cater for expanded work programmes in Regions 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9 mainly in the areas of health and education as well as for other activities including national and other events, local travel and subsistence and cleaning and extermination services.

As the administration continues to advance and expand its transformational agenda and build on its progress over the last five years, the Senior Finance Minister has also successfully piloted government’s 2026 National Budget through Parliament. This $1.558 trillion budget is 12.7 percent larger than Budget 2025 and is fully financed with no taxes.

Dr. Singh in his Budget highlights had noted that Budget 2026 comes just four months before Guyana celebrates its 60th independence anniversary and in this milestone year, Guyana can validly and proudly claim to be globally respected, politically mature and economically strong as a country.