–Dr. Jagdeo says, emphasises expansion of tax relief measures, job creation, increase in public servants’ salaries, social support over next five years
PLANNED tax relief, job creation, targeted support for the vulnerable, and a series of incentives are part of the centre pillars of President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s five-year roadmap for national development, and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo firmly stated that the government intends to deliver on every one of its Manifesto promises.
A day after President Ali revealed a sweeping five-year agenda for “the most ambitious phase” of Guyana’s economic and social transformation, anchored in diversification, digitisation, and broad-based prosperity, Dr. Jagdeo has noted that it represents a carefully planned, long-term strategy to drive inclusive growth.
Dr. Jagdeo, during a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House said that the President’s speech sets the government’s broad philosophy, priorities and planned framework for the next five years, which will ensure all citizens benefit.
He said: “We want every citizen of Guyana to feel part of that agenda; we want them to see all of their concerns, or some of their concerns, reflected in that agenda. We want them to see opportunities for growth and development in the agenda of the government, and if people study those carefully, then I believe that many of them at a corporate level, they can better plan their activities, and at the individual level, knowing where the country is headed and where the opportunities would be and what support you can get from government, you can start planning your lives to create more wealth for yourselves and your families, or to address some other concerns.”
Dr. Jagdeo, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President highlighted the significant progress made thus far, including the major inroads in health, education, infrastructure, social support, infrastructure and income growth.
“We made a lot of progress in the past five years because we kept our promise to people. We expanded education, we expanded healthcare through many initiatives, we expanded infrastructure, we expanded job creation and income creation, and that’s visible for all Guyanese to see,” he said.
Further, the PPP General Secretary pinpointed several major policy directions that will be pursued in the next five years, including tax relief, housing expansion, job creation and rural and hinterland development.
There will also be more provisions for salary increases for public servants, and Dr. Jagdeo further recalled that earlier this year, there was an eight per cent salary hike for public servants.
Additionally, he pointed to social support measures, which were featured prominently in the President’s Wednesday address, which commits to increasing public assistance and establishing community-based disability support centres.
Co-investment opportunities with individuals interested in establishing daycare facilities for children and/or elderly care homes in their communities is also an avenue being explored by the government and according to the Vice President, those ventures would be tax free.
CAREFUL PLANNING
Speaking on cash grants, Dr. Jagdeo said the government’s mandate includes looking at the entire future.
“We do not implement policies that lead to short-term prosperity or seeming prosperity, and then long-term decline, as we’ve seen in so many other countries, because they’re not careful about planning, they have a Single mindset, and the mindset is just about spending everything now without looking to the future.”
He noted that over the next five years, there will be several cash grants. Budget 2026, which will be presented early in the new year, will make provision for a $100,000 cash grant to every Guyanese citizen aged 18 years and older.
Additional cash grants will be paid over the next five years, as the government continues to roll out measures aimed at improving household welfare, and strengthening disposable income.
