The incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic has released its re-election manifesto – a wide-ranging plan it says will deliver the most ambitious transformation in Guyana’s history. From oil and gas to education, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure – the promises are big. So, what’s in it? It’s 65 pages long, so here is a summary
The PPP manifesto begins with a message from its three leaders: President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier (R’td) Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.
At the start of the manifesto, they point out that in 2026, Guyana will celebrate 60 years since attaining political independence after centuries of colonial rule and on the eve of this milestone the country is at one of the most crucial junctures in its entire political and economic history.
They say the PPP is a party with tested and proven vision and leadership that will realise the prosperity Guyanese have long anticipated and awaited as a country and as a people.
The next five years, the PPP leaders say, is one that will see them delivering a modern, prosperous, and inclusive Guyana, one in which the stated aim of translating national prosperity into community, household, and individual prosperity will be realised.
TAXES & COST OF LIVING
On disposable income, the party says:
No new taxes
The Because We Care cash grant will double to $100,000 per child, plus a new $100,000 transport grant
Old age pensions and public assistance will continue to climb
Fuel and utility subsidies will remain in place
MINING
On mining, the PPP promises:
Work with private investors to realise new large-scale mining operations
Make more lands available for small miners to be able to access concessions
Invest aggressively in hinterland roads and airstrips
No increase in royalties, no VAT on heavy equipment, and no tributors tax.
In the bauxite mining sector, continue to work with private investors to ramp up fully the metallurgical grade bauxite (MAZ) project in Linden
Engage with private investors to resuscitate bauxite mining at the abandoned locations in the Berbice River, while encouraging exploration of other areas
Explore the viability of alumina refining, in collaboration with private investors Support rapid expansion in the production of quarry stone and sand products
INDUSTRIAL CAPITAL OF THE CARIBBEAN
Over the next five years, the PPP/C government will:
Complete the industrial estate at Wales to host a vast complex of industrial and manufacturing enterprises, including the manufacture of enough cooking gas to meet and exceed domestic requirements, along with ammonia and urea for use as fertiliser, and establishment of a hub to use the electricity for other manufacturing
Construct a second such industrial estate in Region 6, where private capital could be mobilised for such activities as oil refining, alumina refining, fertiliser manufacturing, and a new petrochemical industry
Work with the private sector to achieve full occupancy at existing and soon to-be completed industrial estates at Belvedere, Lethem, Onderneeming, and York, and construct additional estates to meet growing demand
Establish a Small Business Development Complex in Georgetown to provide SMEs with organised spaces and proper infrastructure, to grow and operate more efficiently.
Designate mini- industrial and commercial zones to relocate particular categories of businesses, thereby also enhancing living conditions in established communities
AGRICULTURE
The PPP says it wants to make Guyana the the food producing capital of the Caribbean. It promises to:
Encouraging mega-production systems to harness the benefits of greater economies of scale
Operationalising the regional food hub at Yarrowkabra, which will include technologically and scientifically driven storage, processing, and packaging facilities
Establishing an agri-tech and agro-industrial complex and co-invest with agro-processors to crowd in private capital into value-added food production and create additional markets for farmers for their fresh produce
Open up more than 100,000 new acres of arable land
Continue to upgrade farm-to-market roads in farming communities
Expand D&I systems and networks
Provide additional support to farmers, including breeding stock, planting materials, and fertiliser
EDUCATION
The manifesto pledges:
Free university tuition at UG.
Unlimited scholarships under the GOAL programme
A new Guyana Digital School to give parents online learning options
Payment for up to 8 CSEC and CAPE subjects per child
Construction of over 100 new schools, with modern labs and ICT facilities
Higher salaries and better working conditions for teachers
HEALTHCARE
Healthcare pledges include:
Completion of 12 new hospitals, 25 health centres, and regional drug distribution hubs
Recruitment of 6,000 new nurses in the next term
Telemedicine at 200 sites linking hinterland villages to specialists
A National Ambulance Authority with land, river, and air ambulances
Use of AI in diagnostics and rollout of electronic health records nationwide
INFRASTRUCTURE
The manifesto highlights mega-projects:
A new four-lane Berbice River Bridge
Completion of the Linden–Lethem highway with bridges at Kurupukari and Puruni
The four-lane East Coast Demerara highway from Mahaica to D’Edward
Expansion of the East Bank highway all the way to CJIA
A four-lane road from Schoonord to Goshen
And the creation of Silica City, Guyana’s first smart city
HOUSING & COMMUNITIES
Housing pledges include:
40,000 new homes built in the next five years
Clearing the entire backlog of house lot applications
Continued core homes and young professional homes programme
Upgrading communities with concrete drains, LED street lights, recreational spaces, and security cameras
Advancing the new Silica City as a prototype for smart living
OIL & GAS
The oil and gas agenda promises:
Completion of the 300 MW Gas-to-Energy project at Wales, slashing electricity costs by 50 percent
Building a 300 MW second gas-to-energy plant at Wales and a new national fuel depot to enable export of cooking gas to the Caribbean
Expansion of local content opportunities to train and employ more Guyanese
Strong oversight of the Natural Resource Fund, with all spending going through Parliament
AMERINDIAN & HINTERLAND COMMUNITIES
For Amerindian communities:
At least 15 percent of carbon credit revenues will continue to flow into village projects and see the start of 5, 000 new projects
More scholarships and training opportunities.
Expanded use of telehealth and ICT to bridge the development gap
SECURITY & GOVERNANCE
The manifesto also promises:
Expansion of the Safe City CCTV network
More police stations and vehicles
Constitutional reform through a 21-member commission
New courts and a nationwide e-litigation system for faster justice
From new homes and highways, to hospitals and schools – the PPP/C says this is the roadmap to a modern Guyana. But the real verdict will be at the ballot box in exactly two weeks and the PPP is hoping for a very comfortable victory.
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