Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh on Tuesday said the Government of Guyana has already begun the intensive process of preparing Budget 2026, with renewed commitments guiding the work ahead.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of an event, Dr. Singh said that although the administration has returned to office with a fresh mandate, it benefits from strong continuity in both governance and policy direction.
“We are a brand-new government having just been re-elected, but we are a government that has the advantage of continuity,” he said, noting that the administration has “always prided itself on predictability in the policy environment” presented to the Guyanese people.
Dr. Singh reiterated that the 2025 elections were fought on a comprehensive five-year agenda detailed in the governing party’s manifesto. He emphasised that this manifesto remains the government’s “contract with the people” and will directly shape the upcoming national budget.
“The manifesto addressed the overarching framework vision—the bold and exciting vision of our President and the leadership of our party—and also a fairly comprehensive articulation of the things that we are planning to do in the various sectors. That manifesto… will form the basis of Budget 2026,” he said.
According to the finance minister, the government has “hit the ground running,” with ministries and agencies already submitting their initial budget proposals. These submissions, he explained, further detail the manifesto’s commitments and translate them into sector-specific plans and policy measures.
The Ministry of Finance has begun its first round of evaluations and consultations.
“We are engaging with ministries, agencies, private sector, [and] engaging various communities to hear from them what are the most important things to them… work has already started,” Dr. Singh said.
He added that the budget proposals from ministries will expand on ongoing initiatives and complement the government’s wider development agenda.
Dr. Singh said the coming weeks will involve fast-paced and intensive work as the administration aims to present Budget 2026 to Parliament early in the new year.
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