– Statement by Gail Teixeira M.P., Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Peoples Progress Party/Civic Government of Guyana presented on Monday the largest national budget in our country’s history, totalling $1.558 trillion. This 2026 budget is fully financed with no new taxes and reflects our administration’s unwavering commitment to building a modern, inclusive, and people-centred Guyana. Budget 2026 is a profound addition to the PPP/C government’s track record for advancing the dignity, opportunity, and well-being of all Guyanese.
This year’s budget again places our citizens at the centre of national development. It expands direct support to households, strengthens critical social sectors, invests in infrastructure, energy and productivity, and protects the most vulnerable. These measures are designed not only to sustain economic growth but to ensure that growth translates into improved livelihoods, better access to services, and enhanced quality of life across our ten administrative regions.
The government has committed significant resources to sectors that matter most to families. The increase in the income tax threshold, expansion of the ‘Because We Care’ grants, new transportation support for pensioners and schoolchildren, $100,000.00 for Every newborn, and increases to Public Assistance and the automatic non-contributory Old Age Pension, will all place billions of dollars of disposable income directly into the hands of our people. When many advanced countries across the world are reducing access to such social protection services to the poor and vulnerable, Guyana is expanding these services. These measures are purposeful and seek to recognise that national prosperity must be shared, meaningful, and felt across every household.
Budget 2026 continues bold investments in education ($183.6B) and healthcare ($161.1B) to modernise systems, expand access, and continue to close long-standing gaps, even those imposed by geography. In these important sectors, these figures are not merely money spent – they are investments in human capital, community resilience, and intergenerational progress. The budget further advances housing ($159.1B), water ($21.6B), energy diversification ($119.4B), roads and bridges ($196.1B), and drainage and irrigation ($81.9B), thereby strengthening the physical backbone of a rapidly developing Guyana while improving daily living conditions for Guyanese.
Importantly, budget 2026 recognises the rights and realities of those in vulnerable situations. Targeted allocations such as $316.5M for persons living with disabilities, $78.3B for children, women and the elderly, and $7.5B for Amerindian and hinterland communities reflect this government’s commitment to ensure that no community is left behind. Expanding Special Educational Needs (SEN) services, improving care infrastructure, and supporting Indigenous economic and social development all demonstrate a governance approach rooted in inclusion and equity.
“This approach is consistent with Guyana’s ongoing work to strengthen its national human rights architecture. Budget 2026 supports the respect, protection, and fulfilment of fundamental human rights, including the right to education, health, housing, social protection, clean water, food security, cultural life, and equal opportunity underpinned by non-discrimination. These investments align with our constitutional obligations, reflect our commitments under regional and international human rights instruments, and show that development and human rights can be mutually reinforcing.”
Investments in agriculture, agro-processing, fisheries, livestock, manufacturing, mining and energy also strengthen the right to development and advance the important right to work by creating new jobs, expanding economic opportunities, and greater involvement of women and youth. In that vein, maintaining the zero-percent excise tax on fuel and ramping up energy diversification will help households and businesses alike. These expanding economic opportunities and climate resilience energy projects, which are in keeping with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, are both essential to long-term national development.
“This government continues to build a State that is capable, accountable, and responsive to the genuine needs of citizens. The use of technology to enhance delivery of services, access to information and access to government agencies, are an important foundational tool in advancing citizen participation and inclusion.
“At the ministry of parliamentary affairs and governance, we will continue to advance transparency, institutional development and public participation, support constitutional bodies, and strengthen national implementation of our international reporting obligations.”
The 2026 budget, as was skilfully laid out by the senior minister with responsibility for finance, Dr Ashni Singh reinforces this direction by allocating the financial resources necessary to bolster our national reporting mechanisms (such as the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow Up, the National Coordinating Committee and the National Stakeholders Forum), modernise institutions, improve service delivery, and expand opportunities for education and civic engagement.
Budget 2026 is therefore more than the sum of its investments and measures. It expresses a vision for a Guyana where a dynamic economy is paired with social progress, where infrastructure development is paired with human development, and where the benefits of growth reach citizens in every region. It is a people-centred budget in the truest sense, one that protects the vulnerable, empowers families, supports workers, strengthens communities, and reinforces Guyana’s emerging role as a regional leader in sustainable and rights-based development.
“I urge Guyanese to take some time to analyse budget 2026 through the lens of real-life implications: – a bridge is not simply a piece of infrastructure, it represents the fulfilment of the freedom of movement, better communication, access to markets, schools and healthcare, and the right to participate in economic and social life. Investment in agro-processing is not only about producing goods, but it also advances the right to food, better prices, supports livelihoods, and strengthens community resilience.
“The “Because We Care” grant is not just about increasing household spending power; it bolsters the right to education by easing barriers to attendance and participation for thousands of children. Similarly, housing allocations contribute to the right to adequate shelter and access to financial sustainability and stability; healthcare investments enable the right to health and better quality of life, and disability-focused programmes support the right to equality and opportunities and greater independence.”
The budget is already visionary and impactful, but when viewed through a human rights-based approach to development, we see clearly how financial allocations translate into the respect, protection, and fulfilment of rights.
“This is Guyana’s golden era, as I have repeatedly said. It is time for all Guyanese to capitalise on the opportunities available and experience how development can be personal, measurable, and centred on our own dignity as human beings, irrespective of our diverse perspectives and ideologies. This government will continue to put people first. We will deliver policies and programmes that uplift our citizens, strengthen our institutions, and secure a brighter future for generations to come.”
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