HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali has firmly rejected the idea that poverty can be solved through repeated cash grants, arguing instead that long-term economic security depends on asset ownership, access to opportunity, and sustained investment in people.
Speaking during a recent interview, Ali said while short-term financial support has a role in easing immediate hardship, it cannot replace a development model built around housing, education, access to credit, and job creation. According to the President, relying too heavily on cash transfers risks trapping people in cycles of consumption rather than empowering them to build lasting wealth.
Ali outlined what he described as an integrated strategy aimed at lifting families out of poverty by giving them tangible assets and economic mobility. He linked expanded housing programmes, affordable financing, skills training, and employment opportunities as interconnected pillars of social advancement, stressing that ownership creates stability that can be passed from one generation to the next.
“You don’t eliminate poverty by consumption alone, you eliminate it by ownership,” the President said.
He pointed to initiatives such as the expansion of housing opportunities, part-time employment programmes, and the proposed Guyana Development Bank as deliberate efforts to help citizens accumulate assets rather than depend on periodic payouts. According to Ali, these measures are designed to move families from vulnerability to resilience by giving them tools to build equity and income over time.
Addressing public frustration over the rising cost of living, the President maintained that government interventions including subsidies, tax removals, and targeted assistance have helped soften the impact of global economic shocks. He suggested that changes in consumption patterns and improving standards of living may also influence perceptions of higher costs, while emphasising that the administration remains focused on strengthening household resilience rather than fostering dependency.
Ali also argued that Guyana’s oil revenues must be used strategically to expand productive capacity and diversify the economy, warning against creating a permanent cash-grant culture funded by petroleum income. He said transforming oil wealth into long-term national assets is essential to building a strong and sustainable middle class.
According to the President, success should not be measured by the size or frequency of cash grants, but by whether citizens are better positioned to secure stable housing, access financing, acquire skills, and earn reliable incomes.
Ali insisted that his administration’s policy direction is focused on long-term transformation, saying true development means giving people the means to build secure and dignified lives long after temporary support has been spent.
