HGP Nightly News – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed launched a blistering critique of Budget 2026, calling it “the largest budget ever in the history of our country” at $1.558 trillion, but insisting it “doesn’t reflect the people.”
Speaking after Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh delivered what Mohamed described as an unusually lengthy presentation, the Opposition Leader said the government’s stated theme, “Putting People First,” rings hollow. “The theme for the budget is putting people first. But in other words, to me, I think they’re putting themselves first… they’re putting their families, they’re putting their friends, they’re putting their favourites first,” he said.
Mohamed argued that the spending plan leans heavily toward massive capital projects while, in his view, short-changing direct support for citizens. “The budget is heavy on infrastructure. Hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure. What about the most important resource, our human resource? Come on,” he said.
He pointed to increases for vulnerable groups as an example of what he called limited relief. “Persons living with disabilities… they are receiving $22,000 per month. They give them $3,000 more per month. What can $3,000 a month do? It’s not easy living with a disability,” Mohamed said. He also referenced the scale of public assistance recipients, adding, “We have 50,000 persons in total receiving the public assistance. So they will get $3,000 increase a month.”
On pensions, Mohamed said the measures fall short of what seniors were led to expect. He noted that pensioners will now receive about $46,000 per month, and criticised the gap between that figure and past commitments. “I could recall the President promised $60,000 per month and a transportation grant of $50,000. So now they’re only going to receive $46,000 per month and a one-off transportation of $20,000,” he said, adding that “we were expecting the pensioners to get their money because they served us well and it’s time for them to live comfortably.”
Mohamed said his objection is not only about the balance between infrastructure and social spending, but also about how projects are implemented and awarded. “It’s both ways,” he said, before alleging corruption in procurement: “Before a contractor can get these contracts, they’ve got to give a minister 10%, 15%. This is a well-known show of this country. The corruption is rampant as it relates to these infrastructural work.” (Mohamed did not provide evidence during the interview, and the government has not responded in this exchange.)
He highlighted the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) as a major example, pointing to the scale of funding and raising questions about unfinished works. “We have $81 billion… for NDIA. Now, from this $81 billion… up to now… pump stations in Region Three… they can’t be completed as yet. Why build more things and you can’t finish the old ones… since four years ago?” he asked.
On education-related support, Mohamed said families were anticipating more, recalling campaign-era promises. “Because We Care cash grants… I was expecting more for our children. We have a total of 205,000 students, and now they will only receive $85,000… and they promised $200,000,” he said. “I can recall clearly on the campaign trail… the President promised $100,000 grant and $100,000 transportation… now… $85,000,” he added.
Mohamed said his overall conclusion is that the spending plan, despite its size, is not translating into what he considers meaningful improvements for everyday people. “This budget, it’s not for the people… it’s just for a selected few,” he said.
Government officials have maintained that Budget 2026 is designed to accelerate development while expanding social support, but Mohamed’s comments signal that the political fight over priorities, delivery, and credibility is likely to sharpen as budget debates continue.
