– Finance Minister says Budget 2026 to set stage for next phase of Guyana’s development
Premised on a vision for continued economic transformation, empowerment of Guyanese, modernisation of social services and deployment of technology among other priorities, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will be unveiling its fiscal plan for 2026 today.
Budget 2026 will be presented to the National Assembly by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. This will be the PPP/C’s first national budget since being re-elected to office at the September 2025 General and Regional Elections.
While President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously outlined his government’s vision of a modern Guyana, Budget 2026 will be the ‘engine’ that lays the groundwork for the continuation of the country’s development surge.
Minister Singh emphasised, in an article published by the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Sunday evening, that the fiscal plan is grounded in the PPP/C 2025 manifesto that was presented to the people of Guyana.
That 2025 manifesto was developed through consultations with the private sector, civil society, youth and women groups, religious organisations and citizens across the country.
According to the Finance Minister, the manifesto serves as the guiding framework for the policies, priorities, and investments outlined in the budget. Central to this agenda, he noted, is a country ripe with opportunities.
“And by upliftment, I refer to opportunities in literally every sphere of life, whether it’s opportunities to educate yourself and or to get a skill or training or certification, opportunities for employment through the massive job creation that we are seeing and that we will continue to see, opportunities for entrepreneurship and, in particular, the establishment and growth of small businesses in Guyana,” Dr Singh stated.
Budget grounded in manifesto
One of the highly anticipated initiatives is the US$200 million Guyana Development Bank, which will increase access to financing and support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The government aims to make this operational by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Budget 2026 will make funds available to commence the first set of 40,000 new homes as promised in the government’s manifesto. It builds upon the more than 50,000 house lots distributed by the government in its 2020-2025 term.
Increased spending on health, education, infrastructure, potable treated water, digitalisation, Amerindian development and targeted support for the vulnerable are among the main priorities that will be outlined in the national fiscal plan.
Importantly, an increase in the Because We Care grant, old age pension, public assistance, among other social support initiatives, is expected to be announced in the upcoming budget.
Additionally, a menu of attractive fiscal measures aimed at driving the expansion of key industries, including agro-processing, tourism, and industrialisation, is expected to be revealed during the presentation on Monday.
The incentives are expected to attract both local and international investors, creating new opportunities for employment, investment, and business development for thousands of small businesses.
Many of these measures were outlined by President Ali during an Address to the Nation back in December 2025 during which he presented his Administration’s policy agenda for the economic and social transformation of Guyana and its people over the next five years.
Human development
Just last week, Minister Singh explained that at the core of Budget 2026 is a commitment to human development and noted that the fiscal plan will focus heavily on creating opportunities for citizens to improve their lives and livelihoods.
“The Guyana that we are building is a Guyana that is full of opportunities for every single Guyanese citizen to uplift themselves,” Dr Singh stated.
To ease the cost-of-living pressures, the Government has pledged to maintain its policy of no new taxes over the next five years, while also introducing tax reductions for individuals and businesses. Special incentives are expected for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in agriculture, animal welfare organisations and veterinary clinics, with some businesses eligible for little to no corporate tax.
Other anticipated measures include abolishment of net property tax on individuals; flat tax rates on double-cab pickups; creation of special investment zones with tax exemptions; home improvement assistance for households.
With the aim of providing opportunities to small businesses, the Government also plans to remove corporate taxes on income earned by companies engaged in childcare provision services and elderly care facilities. In fact, funds will be allocated in 2026 budget for co-investment in child and elderly care facilities, on the condition that the facilities benefiting from tax and concessions agree to a suitable cap rate for their services. Meanwhile, as part of a push for a more humane society and the safeguard of animal welfare, Budget 2026 will include financial support to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in animal care and welfare and institutions providing such care.
Infrastructure development
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister had noted that too that infrastructure development remains a key priority, with major projects including a new four-lane Berbice River Bridge, a Corentyne River Bridge, expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) terminal and municipal airports in Lethem and Rose Hall, as well as improvements to hinterland airstrips.
In agriculture, the Ali-led Administration will continue to place strong emphasis on food security with plans to engage farmers on examining ways to encourage and incentivise diversification across the sector and diversification within crops. There will be mega-scale opportunities available in livestock, dairy, mega farms, sugar, etc. The Government will be incentivising the private sector to form partnerships and consortiums to invest in these opportunities, making them sustainable, profitable and resilient.
Today’s presentation of Budget 2026 will follow last year’s $1.382 trillion budget, which was presented under the theme, ‘A Secure, Prosperous, and Sustainable Guyana.’
Approximately one week after today’s budget presentation, lawmakers will engage in critical deliberations that will define the nation’s fiscal priorities and economic trajectory for 2026.
Subsequently, the august house will dissolve into the committee of supply that will examine each line item for the various ministries and government agencies.
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