By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Rising commodity prices driven by inflation are placing increasing pressure on young people, students, and recent graduates across Guyana, prompting renewed calls for urgent public policy intervention.
This warning has come from Ronald Daniels, a member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and a youth advocate within the party, who argues that the current economic climate is leaving many young Guyanese financially strained and uncertain about their future.
Speaking during a recent press briefing, Daniels said that young people at the early stages of their careers are grappling with the widening gap between wages and the cost of living, particularly in relation to food, rent, and imported goods.
“Many young people, early-career workers, students, and recent graduates are facing severe economic difficulties and uncertainty, necessitating public policy attention,” Daniels said. “They are affected by government policies that disregard their prevailing challenges.”
Daniels, who is also an attorney and an APNU national top-up list candidate, noted that engagements with youths across the country have revealed deep frustration over underemployment and limited job opportunities, despite academic qualifications.
He further highlighted concerns about nepotism and favouritism within the labour market, suggesting that these practices undermine transparency and fairness.
“Underemployment and the mismatch between education or skills and the available opportunities remain major issues,” Daniels stated. “Many youths report that corruption, favouritism, and politically motivated contract awards continue to erode confidence in government systems.”
According to Daniels, many young Guyanese feel disconnected from the country’s growing oil revenues, believing that the benefits of the sector are not translating into tangible improvements in their everyday lives.
He also pointed to delays in major development initiatives, including sports and community facilities, and what he described as substandard service delivery across several industries, despite significant national revenues.
Daniels argued that young people are not seeking handouts, but rather fair and merit-based opportunities that allow them to build sustainable livelihoods.
“A young person should be able to access employment without pledging allegiance to any political party or organisation,” he said.
He warned that financial hardship among youths is becoming more widespread and cautioned the government against ignoring these concerns.
“Some young people have complained that lucrative opportunities are advertised only after positions have already been earmarked for insiders,” Daniels claimed. “Public advertisements, in those cases, become merely academic. We reject this practice wherever it exists.”
Nightly News has independently confirmed reports from several young professionals who say they are struggling to secure employment, including university graduates with postgraduate degrees and strong academic performance.
Daniels concluded that unless people-centred and youth-focused policies are adopted, the country risks alienating an entire generation at a time when economic transformation should be creating broad-based opportunity.
