—Jagdeo says, pushes back against opposition claims that President presented budget speech

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Guyana’s Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that the 2026 national budget speech will be presented in January and will cement President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s broad policy direction for the nation.

“The budget speech will come in January and it will give effect to what the President said, and much more, much more. What the President was doing [last evening] was outlining the broad agenda,” he said during a press conference today at Freedom House, Robb Street.

With that said, Dr Jagdeo made it clear that President Ali did not expound on all of his government’s initiatives, which are geared to fostering long term prosperity for all.

Dr. Jagdeo refuted the opposition’s claims that President Ali presented his budget speech last evening. At the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Dr. Ali unveiled a sweeping five-year agenda for what he describes as “the most ambitious phase” of Guyana’s economic and social transformation, anchored in diversification, digitisation and broad-based prosperity.

He said that the re-elected Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration would “build on the historic achievements” of the past five years, with a sharpened focus on ensuring that growth is widely shared.

The ruling party had clearly outlined its intentions ahead of the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections through a written manifesto, which detailed the programmes and priorities it intends to pursue during its new term in office.

Back in August, President Ali had described the party’s manifesto as a “blueprint for development” and a binding pact with the people, rather than a collection of campaign promises.

President Ali had stressed at the manifesto’s official launch then that was crafted over several years through community engagement and policy planning, ensuring that it reflects national priorities rather than election-period rhetoric.