By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News.
Presidential Candidate for the APNU, Aubrey Norton, has laid out an ambitious people-centered development strategy aimed at tackling poverty, stabilizing the cost of living, and improving livelihoods, should his party form the next government on September 2, 2025.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Norton outlined three core pillars of his economic agenda:
One – Ensure all households earn a livable monthly income
Two – Bring inflation and the rising cost of living under control
Three – Pursue full employment and a living wage for all full-time workers
“We will end poverty in all forms—especially food and nutrition poverty,” Norton stated, emphasizing the party’s goal of empowering citizens to own businesses, make investments, and build wealth for future generations.
He proposed what he described as a “well-being economy”, shifting national focus away from GDP and budget size to quality-of-life indicators such as affordability, access, equity, and sustainability.
“This is about creating an economy where people matter, not just numbers,” he said.
The APNU also pledged to uphold good governance, with transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at its core. Norton committed to expanding participatory and inclusionary democracy, ensuring citizens have a direct voice in shaping decisions that affect their lives.
Key economic measures proposed include:
- Capping spending on income support at no more than 30% of the national budget, totaling $400 billion in new spending in Year One
- $40 billion to raise the tax-free threshold to $400,000 per month, benefitting over 200,000 public/private sector workers and self-employed persons
- An additional $53 billion to increase old-age pensions from $41,000 to $100,000 per month, targeting over 74,000 pensioners
