PNC’s 2025 election pitch recycles policies it scrapped during 2015-2020

…now promises PPP/C’s existing electricity, water subsidies; $10K monthly allowance per child

In its re-election bid for the 2025 General and Regional Elections, the People’s National Congress (PNC) said it will invest heavily in early childhood care and education.
One of its promises is to introduce a monthly childcare allowance of $10,000 per child up to 16 years old.
But it was the PNC-led APNU+AFC administration, which during its term in office from 2015-2020, discontinued the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant initiative which was introduced in 2014 by the previous Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) administration.

The grant, which started at $10,000 per student in the public school system, was re-introduced by the Dr Irfaan Ali – led government upon its return to office in August 2020. To date, it has been increased to $50,000 per student (plus an additional $5000 uniform grant) and is now also accessible to children attending private schools.
Earlier this year, PNC Leader Aubrey Norton revealed that if his party wins the elections, his government would make sure that the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant is linked to attendance.
Meanwhile, on its website, the PNC is also promising to introduce an additional nutrition voucher of $2,500 per month per child up to 5 years old.
Currently, the PPP government has implemented an initiative to provide $100,000 for each baby born to a Guyanese mother. Additionally, under the PPP administration, there are various school feeding programmes countrywide.
The General and Regional Elections is set for September 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, after scrapping subsidies for water and electricity during its time in government from 2015-2020, PNC is also now promising the electorate to bring “electricity and water bill relief” if they are re-elected at the upcoming polls.
In a post on its website outlining the party’s vision, the PNC states that “water and electricity services for low-income households should be subsidised by the government to ensure no household in need is denied these essentials. In line with our people-centred vision, we will urgently introduce ELECTRICITY AND WATER BILL RELIEF FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.”
However, this promise contradicts moves by the PNC-led APNU+AFC Government, which during its 2015-2020 term in office, removed the water and electricity subsidy granted to pensioners – an initiative that was introduced by the previous Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) administration.
The electricity subsidy to assist pensioners in paying electricity bills to the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) was first implemented in September 2013 and saw more than 8,000 pensioners benefitting from $20,000 in subsidy.
However, upon taking office in 2015, the then PNC-led APNU-AFC regime not only removed the safety net subsidies that pensioners enjoyed but also introduced VAT on water and electricity bills.
Upon returning to office in August 2020, the PPP administration led by President Dr Irfaan Ali reversed this and other burdensome measures that were introduced by the David Granger administration – bringing relief to thousands of citizens across the country. The electricity subsidy amounts to $30,000 per month.
For this year, the government budgeted a whopping $298.1 million for water subsidies for more than 35,000 pensioners. Additionally, some $882 million was budgeted for electricity subsidies for 29,000 senior citizens nationwide.
In addition to reinstating the electricity and water subsidies for pensioners, the PPP administration has increased old-age pension by over 75% since assuming office in 2020. The old age pension is currently $41,000 per month.
Moreover, in the past five years, senior citizens have benefitted from various measures rolled out by the PPP administration including a one-off $25,000 grant in 2021, which benefitted more than 65,000 persons.
Also in 2021, an electricity credit was paid to GPL on behalf of households consuming not more than 75 kilowatt-hours per month. The credit to each household was equivalent to one month of their electricity bill, and had injected more than $200 million of disposable income to more than 40,000 households.
Now, the PNC is promising to write off all GPL monthly bills $10,000 and less, and GWI bills $5,000 and less, while removing the water supply reconnection fee of $7,500.
The PNC has not yet officially announced who will be its presidential candidate for the upcoming elections on September 1. Its current leader is Aubrey Norton.