Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh says the 2026 National Budget will mark the formal start of delivering on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) manifesto commitments, following the party’s victory at the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Speaking ahead of today’s presentation of the budget, Dr Singh said the PPP/C has a long-standing record of translating campaign promises into policy, a tradition he traced back to the restoration of democracy in 1992.
“We place a very high premium on the delivery of our commitments, whether in government or in opposition,” the Finance Minister said, noting that successive PPP/C administrations have demonstrated policy consistency across different generations of leadership.
He said Budget 2026 will be guided directly by the manifesto presented to voters, which he described as a comprehensive policy framework shaped by wide national and private-sector consultations.
“If one were trying to anticipate what one will see in the budget, one simply has to look at the manifesto with which we went to the electorate,” Dr Singh said.
The Finance Minister framed the budget as part of a broader political tradition of people-centred governance, saying the PPP/C has consistently positioned itself on the side of the Guyanese people during key moments in the country’s modern history – from the post-1992 reconstruction period to the current phase of rapid economic transformation.
According to Dr Singh, Budget 2026 will prioritise service to citizens through sustained investment in healthcare, education, housing, water and other social services, while strengthening economic resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
He said economic diversification remains a core political and economic objective, particularly as Guyana navigates the opportunities and risks associated with oil and gas production.
While acknowledging the central role of petroleum revenues, Dr Singh stressed that the government is determined to ensure non-oil sectors – including agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, services and the digital economy – remain competitive and capable of driving long-term growth.
Major investments in transport infrastructure, he said, are being pursued not only as development projects but as strategic political choices aimed at expanding trade, improving regional integration and supporting private-sector growth.
“These investments are about unlocking economic opportunity and ensuring long-term competitiveness,” he said, pointing to improved connectivity with Brazil, Suriname and the wider Caribbean.
Dr Singh also emphasised the importance of preserving Guyana’s credibility as an investment destination, cautioning that poor policy decisions can quickly undermine investor confidence.
He contrasted the PPP/C’s approach with the 2015–2020 period, arguing that policies during that time eroded gains made in attracting investment and supporting private enterprise.
The Finance Minister said the government’s engagement with the private sector is continuous and substantive, rather than symbolic, and that business input helped shape both the manifesto and the budget.
He reiterated that the PPP/C does not see being pro-business and pro-people as competing objectives, but as mutually reinforcing goals that drive job creation, entrepreneurship and rising living standards.
Budget 2026 will be presented later today in the National Assembly.
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