GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Imagine paying just $1,000 for a 20 lb cylinder of cooking gas. That’s the bold promise President Dr Irfaan Ali made on Sunday as he unveiled plans to slash the cost of LPG in a live Facebook broadcast, just weeks before the General and Regional Elections.
Currently, Guyanese are paying between $4,500 and $5,600 for a cylinder, a burden for many households already grappling with the high cost of living. But if the government’s massive Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project goes according to plan, that price could fall by more than 75%.
“We are targeting a cylinder of cooking gas at $1,000,” Ali declared. “That’s another essential item that will reduce poverty, that will save for the household.”
The announcement has stirred widespread interest, especially given the timing. With the elections set for September 1, Ali is seeking a second term under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and is promising a sweeping five-year strategy to tackle poverty and improve the standard of living.
At the heart of that plan is the multi-billion-dollar GtE project under construction at Wales, West Bank Demerara. The initiative will bring natural gas onshore from ExxonMobil’s Liza Field in the offshore Stabroek Block. Once operational, the project is expected to deliver 50 million cubic feet of gas per day in its first phase.
That gas will feed into a new 300-megawatt power plant and a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility. The NGLs, including cooking gas, will be separated and processed for local use, with excess dry gas powering the national electricity grid. According to the government, the plant will produce around 5,000 barrels of NGLs daily, allowing for a steady and affordable supply of LPG across the country.
A second phase will push output even higher, with 75 million additional cubic feet of gas expected to support more power generation and possibly export.
The President’s message was clear: Guyanese will feel the benefits of oil and gas directly in their homes, not just through megaprojects and infrastructure, but through the price of something as basic as a cylinder of gas.
With construction still ongoing and the project expected to be up and running by mid-2026, the $1,000 gas cylinder is not an immediate reality. But as election day draws closer, it’s one of the most talked-about promises yet, and one that could influence households across the country.
