Ali Vows Cheaper Cooking Gas, Electricity to Combat Cost of Living—Norton Says Gov’t Still Failing on Human Development
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
GUYANA — With the 2025 general elections fast approaching, President Irfaan Ali on Sunday doubled down on a series of economic relief promises, pledging to cut the cost of electricity by 50% and slash cooking gas prices to just $1,000 per cylinder. The dramatic reduction, he said, will be made possible by the Gas-to-Energy Project set to come online in 2026.
“Cooking gas is going to come down substantially… We are targeting a cylinder at $1,000,” the President said during a live broadcast. “That is an essential item that will reduce poverty.”
Currently, Guyanese pay between $4,500 and $5,600 for a 20-pound cylinder of cooking gas. Ali positioned the price cut as a key plank in his poverty-reduction strategy, noting that essential commodities must become more affordable if citizens are to feel the benefits of the country’s oil-fueled economic growth.
The announcement comes amid growing public frustration over the high cost of living, despite significant increases in national revenue.
But Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, the APNU presidential candidate, has taken a critical stance, accusing the government of superficial governance and neglecting human development. Speaking at a press conference last week, Norton emphasized that meaningful development means more than infrastructure.
“The ultimate goal of development is not merely building roads and bridges,” he said. “It’s ensuring the well-being of all Guyanese people.”
Norton also pointed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a benchmark for real progress, suggesting that the PPP/C government is falling short in areas such as education, healthcare, and income equality.
As the 2025 election campaign intensifies, both leaders are seeking to define the stakes. Ali’s PPP/C is banking on the rollout of Gas-to-Energy infrastructure as a game-changer, while Norton is pushing for a more people-centered approach to development.
