FINANCE Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, said cash grants will continue to form part of the government’s support to citizens, but stressed that they are only one element of a wider, long-term strategy aimed at sustainable national, community, and household prosperity.
In a preview of his upcoming interview on The Starting Point podcast, which will be aired today, Dr Singh outlined the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s approach to economic support and development, emphasising skills, employment, and wealth creation as the ultimate goals.
“We have said that we’re going to continue to provide support and targeted support to the Guyanese population, but it has to be a comprehensive range of policies,” Dr Singh said.
He added that this approach has been consistently underscored by the party’s leadership, noting, “this is what every leader in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government and every leader in our party has been at pains to emphasise.”
The Finance Minister acknowledged that cash grants have been an important component of government policy, particularly in providing immediate relief to citizens.
“We introduced cash grants, like I said, and over the course of time we will provide cash grants to the Guyanese population,” he stated.
However, Dr Singh was clear that direct financial transfers are not intended to be the sole mechanism for improving lives. “That will certainly not be the only means through which we will bring and deliver upliftment and improvement to the lives of the Guyanese people,” he said.
According to Dr Singh, the administration’s broader vision is centred on empowerment rather than dependency. “What we want ultimately is for every single Guyanese person to be able to take care of themselves, to be able to get the right skills that they’re able to earn and get a good quality job and to be able to take care of themselves,” he explained.
He went further to outline an ambition that extends beyond meeting daily needs. “And even moreover not only to take care of themselves but to be able also to build household and individual wealth,” Dr Singh said.
The finance minister reiterated that the government’s economic philosophy is rooted in ensuring that the benefits of national growth are felt at all levels of society. “We have said on repeated occasions that our objective is for national prosperity to be translated into community and household and individual prosperity,” he noted.
In this context, Dr Singh positioned cash grants as a supportive, but not dominant, policy tool. “And so, cash grants will be a part of a much bigger and wider range of policies,” he said.
Since assuming office in 2020, the PPP/C government has rolled out a wide range of relief measures aimed at easing the rising cost of living and providing direct support to households and businesses, while avoiding the introduction of new taxes.
Central to these efforts have been cash grants to citizens, including a one-off $100,000 grant to adults, as well as targeted support for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and pensioners, alongside relief measures for farmers and small businesses.
In addition to direct transfers, the administration has maintained a policy of no new taxes, while removing or reducing a number of existing burdens.
These measures also included raising the income tax threshold, removing value-added tax (VAT) from a range of basic food items, agricultural inputs, and essential household goods to lower everyday expenses, and reducing fuel taxes.
The PPP/C government has further implemented electricity and water relief, provided support for schoolchildren through uniform and education grants, and introduced housing and land distribution initiatives to ease long-term financial pressure on families.
Together, these measures form part of the government’s broader strategy to provide immediate relief while supporting sustainable economic growth and improved household welfare.
