HGP Nightly News – Providing granular detail on the financing of the historic $1.558 trillion budget, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill opened the government’s defense in Parliament by specifying that withdrawals from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) account for $495 billion of the total, while non-tax revenue constitutes a larger share of $580 billion.
The clarification formed the cornerstone of a broader rebuttal to opposition characterizations of the fiscal plan. Minister Edghill directly challenged what he termed a misrepresentation of the budget’s financing structure, stating, “That’s the total amount of oil money that is financing this budget,” and urging opposition members to revise their analyses.
Building upon this financial delineation, the Minister proceeded to outline the budget’s extensive catalogue of social investments, which he framed as the tangible outcome of prudent fiscal management. He detailed direct cash transfers including the newborn grant, the enhanced ‘Because We Care’ and national cash grants, and increased old age pensions.
Minister Edghill further highlighted targeted programmes for farmers, fisherfolk, single parents, persons with disabilities, and hinterland communities, positioning these initiatives as evidence of the budget’s pro-poor and people-oriented design. The Minister’s comprehensive defense also addressed critiques on employment and infrastructure.
Countering claims that stable jobs remain elusive, he asserted that over 100,000 jobs have been created since 2020 and defended the budget’s job-sustaining economic direction. On infrastructure, he cited transformative projects like the new Demerara River Bridge and the Ogle-Eccles link road, arguing they are critical investments in national connectivity and long-term productivity that opposition critics fundamentally misunderstand.
Minister Edghill’s presentation, grounded in the specific financial figures of NRF and non-tax revenue, served to methodically counter the opposition’s opening arguments. He characterized Budget 2026 not as a narrowly resource-fueled plan, but as a balanced, service-oriented blueprint for development funded by a diversified revenue base and dedicated to broad-based national upliftment.
