Georgetown, Guyana – Imagine your salary jumping by more than a third, your light bill wiped clean, and your water bill down to zero. That’s what APNU+AFC’s Prime Ministerial candidate Juretha Fernandes is promising under a new economic plan aimed at putting more money directly into the hands of working-class Guyanese.
In a recent interview on Context with Enrico Woolford, Fernandes laid out what she called a “realistic and people-first” strategy to rescue ordinary families from the squeeze of high prices and low pay. At the center of the proposal is a 35% salary increase for government workers and sweeping tax reforms, including raising the income tax threshold to $400,000.
“This is not a dream. This is math,” Fernandes said. “We’re not printing new money or racking up debt. We’re redirecting what’s already in the system, but wasted.” She pointed to World Bank figures showing that over 40% of capital expenditure in Guyana is lost to inefficiencies.
Fixing that, she says, could free up more than $300 billion a year, enough to fund salary hikes, boost pensions, provide electricity and water subsidies, and expand housing and education support.For Fernandes, the numbers are personal.
“Public servants are watching the cost of living explode while their wages stand still. We’re going to change that,” she said, adding that bills under $10,000 for electricity and under $5,000 for water would be covered under the plan.
She also proposed rent-to-own housing and increased support for pensioners and students, arguing that these investments are long overdue.
“This isn’t about spending recklessly. This is about spending responsibly and with purpose,” she explained.Fernandes took direct aim at what she sees as the root of the problem: corruption in procurement and unfair distribution of contracts.
“Small contractors get the scraps because they’re forced to subcontract to big players with equipment. We’ll change that so that local businesses have a fair shot,” she said.
Beyond immediate relief, Fernandes emphasized longer-term development: stable electricity for businesses, affordable internet access, and job creation for young people. “You can’t talk about growth without talking about dignity,” she said. “And right now, too many Guyanese are working hard without dignity or reward.”
With less than two months to go before the September 1 elections, the proposal sets a clear tone for the APNU campaign: bold promises, backed by numbers, and aimed at the pockets of everyday people.
