HGP Nightly News – With criticism growing over gaps between campaign commitments and Budget 2026 measures, President Dr Irfaan Ali is urging Guyanese to judge his administration over its full five-year term, not the first budget presented since the PPP/C’s re-election in September 2025.
The PPP/C’s $1.558 trillion Budget 2026 has been framed by the government as a “Putting People First” plan, featuring tax incentives, higher thresholds, housing support and measures intended to ease cost-of-living pressures. But critics have questioned whether some headline promises made on the campaign trail are being delivered at the scale voters were led to expect.
One of the most debated examples is the “Because We Care” initiative. During the campaign, critics have pointed to promises that the student cash grant would rise to $200,000, inclusive of a transportation component. In Budget 2026, the package totals $85,000 per child, built from a $60,000 “Because We Care” cash grant, a new $20,000 transportation grant and a $5,000 uniform voucher.
Addressing the controversy in a live broadcast on Tuesday, President Ali leaned heavily on the timeline of governance, arguing that voters gave his administration a five-year mandate to meet or exceed its commitments.
“We have five years. The naysayers believe that we have six months or one year. You elected us for five years to fulfil or surpass our commitment. And I assure you that we will do just that. Together, we are going to do great things,” Ali said.
For critics, the question remains whether a multi-year approach matches the expectations set during the campaign. For the administration, the message is that delivery will be paced across the term, and Budget 2026 is only the opening chapter of that plan.
