The Guyana government has announced plans to provide a GUY$100,000 cash grant to every citizen aged 18 and older, as part of a broad package of economic initiatives unveiled Wednesday night by President Irfaan Ali.
In a nationally televised and radio-broadcast address, President Ali said the grants will be included in the 2026 national budget, adding that additional cash transfers will be rolled out over the course of his five-year term.
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“Cash transfers are an important means through which specific policy objectives can be realized,” Ali said during the two-hour address.
The President also announced that beginning next year, 10-day government workers will receive monthly salaries of GUY$50,000. In addition, several areas will be designated as tax-free special development zones aimed at boosting employment in the non-oil sector and reducing reliance on imports. Details on the locations of these zones are expected in the 2026 budget.
Ali said financing will also be provided to Amerindian communities to improve housing quality, and the government will abolish net property tax on individuals to increase disposable income.
Small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to access loans of up to GUY$10 million through the Guyana Development Bank, which is expected to become fully operational by the end of the first quarter of 2026. The bank will receive an initial government injection of US$200 million.
The President said youth, women, and persons living with disabilities will be prioritized across these initiatives.
He also announced new flat taxes on double-cab pickup trucks: GUY$2 million for vehicles with engine capacities under 2000cc, and GUY$3 million for those between 2000cc and 2500cc, regardless of vehicle age.
However, opposition parties quickly criticized the announcements, arguing that the President improperly outlined a five-year national agenda outside of Parliament.
APNU legislator Sherod Duncan described the move as a “democratic red flag,” saying it bypassed parliamentary scrutiny and excluded the opposition. Forward Guyana Movement leader Amanza Walton-Desir also raised concerns, questioning the silence of the diplomatic community as Parliament remains without a formally appointed opposition leader.
Speculation has emerged that the President avoided Parliament to prevent a sitting that would include Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), who—along with his father—is facing extradition proceedings sought by the United States.
Parliament Speaker Manzoor Nadir has yet to convene opposition legislators to constitutionally appoint a leader of the opposition.
