Finance Ministry finalising submissions for 2026 National Budget

– fiscal package to align with PPP/C re-election manifesto

The Ministry of Finance is in the advanced stages of preparing submissions for the 2026 National Budget, which Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, says will be firmly grounded in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s recently renewed mandate and its 2025–2030 manifesto commitments. Speaking on the side-lines of his address to the 5th British Trade Mission to Guyana, Dr Singh explained that while the administration is newly re-elected, it benefits from continuity, experience and a longstanding reputation for predictable policymaking. He noted that the PPP/C entered the September 2025 elections with a comprehensive agenda that articulated both President Ali’s overarching development vision and sector-specific commitments that now form the Government’s contract with the Guyanese people.

Dr Singh emphasised that Budget 2026 will be built directly on this manifesto – a document that he said earned the PPP/C an increased majority at the polls. “We pride ourselves on hitting the ground running,” he stated, noting that work began from day one as Government officials continued engagements with sectors, regions and communities to refine priorities based on the needs identified across the country. “We will continue this work. The next few weeks will be a very intense period of effort. We will continue the work that will see us being able to submit the budget in Parliament very early in the new year. The budget will see us beginning to deliver immediately on the commitments that we gave in the manifesto because it is our intention in this term of office to continue to do as we have always done, which is to ensure that we deliver our entire manifesto to the people of Guyana,” the Minister said.

Budget submissions
According to the Finance Minister, all Ministries and Government agencies have already prepared and submitted their initial budget proposals. These submissions expand on the manifesto’s commitments, providing detailed policy objectives and outlining programmes to be undertaken in the new term.
“The various Ministries and Government agencies have already prepared their respective budget submissions. And those budget submissions, as you can imagine, flesh out in greater detail the commitments that would have been given in the manifesto. They develop further and flesh out in greater detail. Like I said, the various commitments, the various policy objectives and commitments that we would have articulated in the agenda… We in the Ministry of Finance have already started our engagement with the various agencies. In the first instance, various agencies within the Government, but in addition, engagement with other stakeholders, private sector groups, etc. Because, as you know, we also engage in an ongoing close consultation with the private sector and other stakeholder groups as part of our policy formulation and budget preparation processes. So, work has started and is advancing very well,” Dr Singh explained.

Budget and Manifesto
Under the theme “A Secure, Prosperous and Sustainable Guyana”, the PPP/C Government presented a whopping $1.382 trillion budget on January 17, 2025, marking the second budget in Guyana’s history to cross the trillion-dollar mark and containing a wave of measures aimed at not only moving the economy forward but also bringing direct benefits to Guyanese. The 2025 budget, a 20.6 per cent increase from 2024, focused on key priorities including infrastructure development, such as completing the New Demerara River Bridge and a Gas to Energy (GtE) Project aimed at lowering electricity costs, among other support for social programmes, public services, and the enhancement of sectors like education, health, and sports. Back in August, the governing PPP/C launched its 2025 elections manifesto, outlining an ambitious five-year development agenda aimed at transforming Guyana into a modern and international model of growth. Themed “One Country, One People, One Future Forward Together for a Better Guyana”, the manifesto was unveiled to hundreds of supporters on Monday at Pegasus. Over the next five years, the PPP/C intends to build 12 hospitals and to deploy a fully integrated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system across the country, with key deliverables. These include the establishment of a National Ambulance Authority as well as fleet expansion with the procurement of new land, air, and river ambulances. Further, the manifesto outlines plans for the construction of 40,000 new homes over the next five years, major roadworks, an aviation school, a deep-water port, 100 new schools, a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Development Bank, an anti-corruption unit, and initiatives for Indigenous development.