HGP NIGHTLY NEWS: Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has laid bare the staggering cost of the government’s proposed $100,000 cash grant for every Guyanese adult, revealing that the programme will drain approximately $63 billion from the treasury.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo framed the figure in stark historical terms, noting that the price of the payout exceeds the total tax revenue collected during his entire term in office in 2006. The comparison was intended to underline both the scale of the grant and the fiscal realities confronting the government.
His remarks come as public debate intensifies, with some voices arguing that the $100,000 payout does not go far enough. Jagdeo dismissed the notion that the grant can be endlessly increased, warning that the state must make hard choices about how national resources are spent.
According to the Vice President, billions are already earmarked for competing priorities, including infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and education, each of which carries long-term implications for economic stability and quality of life. He pointed to the government’s housing drive as a prime example, estimating that more than $800 billion will be required to deliver 40,000 homes, develop house lots, and provide grants for construction and rehabilitation.
Jagdeo stressed that while cash grants provide immediate relief, they are not the foundation on which a country is built. He reminded citizens that additional cash grants are planned over the next five years, but said the administration’s true objective is to create conditions where people can earn reliably and plan their lives without waiting on government payouts.
“We don’t run a country only on cash grants,” Jagdeo said. “We are thinking long-term. We want people to have good-paying jobs, decent homes, and safe communities, so they don’t have to wait on a government cash grant to plan their lives.”
As pressure mounts and expectations rise, the government is urging the public to view the $100,000 grant not as a standalone promise, but as one element of a broader strategy aimed at transforming Guyana’s economy and reducing dependence on short-term financial relief.
