AMID persistently high global prices, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has highlighted how the government has taken concrete steps to shield Guyanese from the impacts of cost of living through stable electricity, water, fuel rates and other essentials.

Dr. Jagdeo during his press conference on Thursday at Freedom House addressed a recent article by the Stabroek News which only focused on food prices when it comes to the cost-of-living, instead of analysing the six areas that contribute to the issue.

The General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President first pointed out that global conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic drove up cost of living.

But what did this government do?

Responding to this question, he said: “…We intervened by subsidising GPL rates so that there was no increase in the cost of living in relation to electricity from 2020 to 2025. There’s been no increase in the water rate from 2020 to 2025. We subsidised now by removing the taxes, the 50 per cent tax on gasoline and diesel. We are giving a $560 subsidy for every gallon of gas or diesel that you buy now, resulting in us having the lowest gasoline and diesel price in the Caribbean, including lower than Trinidad and Tobago…. In internet, the bandwidth costs came down significantly because we liberalized telecommunications. On mortgages, mortgage rates came down.”

However, food prices went up a bit in certain areas, he admitted, before emphasising that the government is planning to tackle this.

“We didn’t expect COVID. We came into office with plans to change the country right away and we did this in spite of COVID. In spite of COVID, we changed it and anybody who can see it now would see the momentum and it’s only going to grow in the next five years,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

The PPP/C has pursued a targeted, multi-pronged approach to ease living costs and reduce poverty.

For instance, in agriculture, the government is opening 100,000 acres of new farmland, expanding agro-processing hubs, and building farm-to-market roads. These investments reduce dependence on imported goods, enhance food security, and keep prices stable despite rising global demand.

Social protection measures have been equally robust. Pension increases expanded public assistance, and substantial cash grants to households have put more disposable income directly into the hands of Guyanese. The removal of tolls, combined with reduced electricity bills, fuel subsidies, and support for cooking gas, will lower transportation and utility costs across the board.
Global factors, soaring transportation costs, worldwide inflation, and an influx of visitors, have put upward pressure on prices in every nation. Yet, the PPP/C’s coherent, funded policies have ensured that Guyana’s inflation remains relatively contained, while poverty is steadily declining.