HGP Nightly News – In his contribution to the 2026 National Budget debate, Dr. Andre Lewis of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party issued a pointed warning regarding the government’s fiscal strategy, centering his critique on the management of the nation’s oil wealth and the sustainability of current expenditure.
Dr. Lewis focused his address on the budget’s heavy reliance on oil and gas revenue and what he described as the increasingly routine use of withdrawals from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF). He argued that this approach poses a significant risk without a clear contingency plan for a potential decline in global oil prices.
“The 2026 budget relies heavily on oil and gas revenue and large withdrawals from the Natural Resource Fund,” Dr. Lewis stated. “Withdrawals… are becoming routine rather than cautious. And there is no clear plan for how spending will be adjusted if oil revenues fall.”
He cautioned that an economy overly dependent on cyclical commodity revenues and government spending is inherently fragile. “Growth that depends on government spending is fragile. When spending slows, growth will slow,” he told the National Assembly, warning of an economy that may appear strong in times of high revenue but lacks resilience during downturns.
Expanding from this central fiscal concern, Dr. Lewis challenged the budget’s overarching theme of “Putting People First.” He argued that despite record-breaking expenditure, many Guyanese feel disconnected from its promised benefits, citing unequal regional development, high costs of living, and persistent gaps in healthcare, education, and stable employment.
Furthermore, he raised alarms about institutional oversight, contending that systems for accountability, audit, and procurement control have not kept pace with the rapid expansion of spending. “When accountability does not grow alongside spending, waste and inefficiency become a real risk,” he said.
Dr. Lewis also called for greater transparency and stronger state capacity within the natural resources sector itself, emphasizing that in a sector dominated by multinational companies, robust monitoring and enforcement are essential to protect national value.
Dr. Lewis framed his critique not as opposition to development, but as an appeal for greater prudence. “What we oppose is a budget that relies too heavily on oil money without strong safeguards [and] weakens accountability while expanding spending,” he stated, advocating for a budget he characterized as “smart, fair, and responsible” for both the present and the future.
