National Assembly approves $30.5B for $100,000 cash grant

The National Assembly has approved $30.5 billion for the $100,000 cash grant initiative that was announced by Government. This was part of two financial papers – Financial Paper No 3 seeking approval for $456.8 million and Financial Paper No 4-seeking approval for $84 billion – that had been laid during the 88th sitting of the National Assembly by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, and was examined by the Committee of Supply.

The first paper, financial paper No. 3 of 2024 includes advances amounting to $372.4 million from the contingency fund between November 7 and 22, 2024, for payment of increased security charges in Regions One (Barima/Waini) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), through the Education Ministry and Local Government and Regional Development. Additionally, the sum of $84 million was approved for the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and the Protected Areas Commission.
The second financial paper, No. 4 of 2024, that was laid pertains to a sum of over $84 billion, of which $30.5 billion is for the commencement of the $100,000 cash grant initiative.

In his remarks following several lines of questioning from Opposition Parliamentarians, specifically Shurwayne Holder, Prime Minister Mark Phillips indicated that Government’s current focus is to begin the distribution exercise as soon as possible, as the registration process for the grant has already started.
When asked about whether the sum covers the entire country, PM Phillips revealed that 50 percent of Guyanese are catered for in this leg of the timely distribution, and Government will return to the National Assembly for additional funds, if the administration is required to do so.
Following PM Phillip’s response, Holder requested a direct figure for the number of recipients catered for in the first phrase of the distribution exercise, which include public servants and residents of hinterland communities.
“Mr Speaker, in the initial announcement, we heard that it was $60 billion, a total of $60 billion to be disbursed. We’ve since seen some changes and now we see the amount coming to Parliament as $30.5 billion, which works out to about 305,000 persons 18 and above”.
The prime minister answered the question stating “Mr. Chairman, as I speak, we have officials deployed throughout the country conducting the registration exercise. Okay. Now, if you’re given a problem, the first thing you do, you analyse how you have to solve the problem. And the low-hanging fruits or things that you could reach easily, you dispose of that quickly. And then you deal with the big ones. Is that so? So obviously, paying, registering and paying the public servants, who’s already a captive population, that will be first and then we move on”.
Nevertheless, the senior minister with responsibility for finance in adding to the PM’s response said that registration is required for all Guyanese, including public servants.
“Mr Chairman, if I might add some further clarity to the abundant clarity that has already been shed on this matter by the distinguished Prime Minister…The reason why registration is required for everybody is because in addition to processing public servants’ payments simply by virtue of the fact that they are in public employment, we are also registering in the communities. And the people who work in public offices also live in these communities. And so, in order to ensure, in order to ensure that we minimise and avoid and eliminate as far as we possibly can duplication, it is imperative that everybody be registered,” he explained.
Outside of the $30.5 billion approved for the commencement of the $100,000 cash grant initiative, tempers flared in the National Assembly between Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul while the Committee of Supply was considering the $119.2 million in advances that were utilized by the Ministry to cater for increased security charges.
While grilling Minister Manickchand for answers, MP Mahipaul in an accusing manner asked about the ownership of Centaur Investments Incorporated and whether the company has been providing services to the Education Ministry.
He also asked the minister about alleged ties she may have to Centaur Investments Incorporated.
The minister in response told the Committee that her ministry has absolutely no ties to Centaur Investments Inc.
Manickchand further went on to state that the company in question has never been issued any contracts by the Ministry of Education under her leadership.
“I have no ties, I have no ties to any security company anywhere in this country, none. Neither me nor my husband, my brother, my sister, my parents are dead, none. Absolutely none,” Manickchand said.
“Bringing into this House, the koka top gyaff that is now allowed on social media because of freedoms is something that we would want to guard against. But I would answer very clearly.
After I saw that myself, I enquired into the ownership of Centaur and it is owned by a young Guyanese of African descent name Quacy Munroe. We are very happy in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government to offer opportunities for growth and thriving to young Guyanese of all ethnicities and particularly of African descent,” the education minister added.

Other provisions
Meanwhile, another $25.3 billion was granted for the transformative Gas to Energy (GtE) Project. Already, significant progress has been made on the project, which consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.
It features approximately 200 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that would run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating, Production, Storage, And Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
In last year’s national budget, the project received a $43.3 billion allocation in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project. And this year, some $80 billion was allocated to advance the project.
The Guyana Government has envisioned the startup of the GtE Project by 2025, thus realising its commitment to deliver cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy to the population… particularly since it will slash electricity costs by half.

Public Works, Health
Under the Public Works Ministry, $138 million was approved for the Demerara River Bridge, $51 million for the expansion of road networks and $33 million for Ferry Vessel Stellings.
With the Government looking to complete a number of new and improved regional hospitals, a sum of $4.5 billion was approved for the Ministry of Health.
This money is for advancing construction of the six regional hospitals in Lima, De Kinderen, Diamond, Enmore, Bath and No. 75 Village. Additionally, the money will be used to initiate works on regional hospitals at Lethem, Moruca and Kato. Further, $3.6 billion was approved to support the provision of drugs and medical supplies.

Housing
Moreover, the sum of $6.5 billion was approved for Housing and Water Ministry for its housing development infrastructure drive and $1.9 billion for Coastal Water supply.
Back in February, the National Assembly had approved a budget of $100.5 billion for advancing the water and housing sector following deliberations by the Committee of Supply on the Budget 2024 estimates and expenditures.