Dear Editor,
GUYANA is on the course of a hat-trick on presenting a “Trillion Dollar” budget in 2026. Indeed, the year 2024 has been a journey of “trials, treats and triumphs,” which tested the PPP/C government’s tempo, to culminate another thoughtful year successfully and on a high and resounding note, but not oblivious to the touchy challenges to ride the rough political weather in 2025, with a taste of traditional expectations from the opposition.
In 2024, Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President for Finance and the Public Service, surprised Guyanese with the biggest budget totalling $1.146 trillion (USD 5.5 billion) in expenditures and measures, an ambitious move the nation has never experienced. Its theme was, “Staying the Course, Building Prosperity for All.”

That budget was 46.6 per cent larger than the 2023 budget and was fully financed without any new or increased taxes. With an estimated revenue of $947 billion (USD 4.5 billion), it projected a $199 billion (USD 1 billion) deficit. This translated to a growth trajectory of an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 43.6 per cent.

As outlined in Dr Ashni Singh’s 2024 budget presentation, the PPP/C government did deliver on their commitments.
With the various and numerous salary and wage increases, adjustments and allowances, retroactive payments and bonuses, cash grants and stipends, and assistance and services, the government succeeded in providing arteries of ways and means for Guyanese to enjoy a decent life for all categories of workers across the board and in all fields.

With the existential building explosion in the government’s housing and water programmes, Guyanese continue to capitalise on the many avenues designed by the PPP/C administration, to “create, build and accumulate household wealth through their own efforts.”
Through astute leadership, Guyana defended her integrity by adhering to universal norms and practices, which attracted global attention to house many forums at home with overseas participation. In addition, Guyana advanced her financial status with international partnerships, as evidenced with the American, Chinese and other investments.

The latest loan of US$526 million from the US Export-Import Bank to finance the gas-to-energy programme, catapulted a higher confidence level in the PPP/C government’s and shattered the opposition’s dogmatic negativity.
In 2025, the Honourable Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, bedazzled Guyanese with yet again a bigger budget totalling $1.382 trillion, an increase of 20.6 per cent when compared to 2024. The 2025 theme is, “A Secure, Prosperous and Sustainable Guyana.”
Here again, notably, there are no increases in taxes nor no new taxes to finance the expenditures. In fact, there is further reduction in duties and VAT. A projected 10.6 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is anticipated with a projected 5.9 per cent deficit of the budget.

Without venturing into humongous ramifications of the statistics and logistics to amplify the detailed or summarily individual budget for each ministry, from last Friday, on a daily basis, reporters, writers and commentators are voicing their opinions and reasonably discussing the significance of the increases over last year’s performance in each industry, whether positive or negative.
Not to underscore, it does not escape the interest of Guyanese both at home and abroad to note that, only a trusted PPP/C government can enhance Guyana’s development through planning and growth, production and sustainability and programming and planning with a vision for progress and prosperity through a peaceful and positive means.

With the commencement of the debates and discussions, the opposition is already in a dour domain, dismissive of the details and distastefully dreadful in their devious deportments. As they develop disillusive devices to attempt to dominate Parliament, Guyanese are not shocked with their deranged derivations and damaging deductions.
Who would forget their villainous impropriety characterised when the APNU+AFC opposition in December 2021 charged at the Sergeant-of Arms of the parliament and attempted to wrestle the legendary Mace to create chaos and confusion, and prevent the passing of legislation for the National Resource Fund law?

Alliances also affiliated with the ruckus, also accessed the control room and disconnected the microphones and disrupted communications. To add salt to the wound, the opposition parliamentarians referred to the injured clerk of the parliament as “house negro.”
As a result, the Privileges Committee met and recommended suspension for the following MPs: Sherod Duncan, Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Vinceroy Jordan, Annette Ferguson, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Maureen A. Philadelphia and Tabitha Halley. They lost a court bid and were each fined $350,000, in addition to losing their salaries and benefits and being suspended from sittings in Parliament.

Most Guyanese would agree that the Budget 2025 is dynamic and potently empowered to realise the promises committed by the PPP/C government in their 2020 elections manifesto, and aiding Guyana in its transformative deliberations as the PPP/C prepares to ascend the seat of administration for the next period and beyond. It is a colossal and monumental terrain to traverse, but nothing devoid of the PPP/C’s prudent management.

The PPP/C government has, is and will always be a caring, competent and careful government for honesty, honour and harmony.
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall.