GEORGETOWN, Guyana – In a bold promise aimed at winning over the working class, APNU’s Vice Presidential Candidate Juretha Fernandes told supporters on Saturday that a future government led by Aubrey Norton would give public servants a 35% salary increase and significantly raise the income tax threshold—from $130,000 to $400,000.
The announcement came during APNU’s official campaign launch, held in Georgetown, where Fernandes sought to position the party as a champion of everyday Guyanese, especially in the face of what she described as the PPP government’s failure to translate national wealth into real improvements for citizens.
“We are spending trillions, but who is benefitting?” she asked the crowd. “We’re not just talking—we are guaranteeing you that these measures are possible. We have the oil resources, and we will manage them efficiently.”
The proposals, if implemented, would represent one of the most significant shifts in public sector compensation and tax policy in recent years. The current administration has made annual incremental adjustments to salaries and the tax threshold but has been criticised by some for not moving fast enough to improve living standards despite the country’s growing oil revenue.
Fernandes said the proposed salary increase is not only affordable but overdue. “It’s time public servants get their fair share,” she declared, adding that under APNU, fiscal policy would be “people-centered, not contractor-centered.”
The party is also pledging direct cash support to Guyana’s elderly population. According to Fernandes, senior citizens would each receive a $100,000 “financial empowerment boost” if the opposition wins the next election. She framed it as part of a broader effort to provide dignity and security to those who built the country through decades of labour.
This latest suite of promises comes as Guyana heads into an election period shaped by economic transformation, rising inequality, and growing frustration among segments of the population who feel left behind in the oil boom.
Fernandes’ speech signals APNU’s strategy: appeal directly to wage earners, pensioners, and families struggling to cope with rising costs—while framing the government as disconnected from the real needs of the population.
Whether the promises will be enough to shift public opinion remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: APNU is betting that bold pledges and a call for equity will resonate with voters in a country standing at the crossroads of wealth and want.
