Govt will not cave in to opposition demands for increased cash grants-Ali

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 October 2024, 13:17 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali says his government will not give into opposition demands for huge cash transfers, even it means that his People’s Progressive Party Civic’s (PPPC) chances of losing an election are reduced.

Addressing the opening of the Guyana-Suriname International Business Conference at the Marriot Hotel, he said government would prefer to stick to the economic fundamentals rather than yielding to “populist” demands in an election season.

“There will be voices that will push you to do things that are popular at the moment but you have to be able to evaluate from a policy perspective and to make the decisions that would not necessarily easily guarantee you a next term but would guarantee the country an extra 50,60, 70 years,” he said during an interactive session that he substituted for his feature address.

Dr Ali earlier this month announced an estimated US$1,000 per household one-off payout, but days later adjusted the payout to GY$100,000 for every Guyanese adult who is 18 years and older as of 1st January, 2024. The President said the new structure of the one-off cash grant means that it would cost more than the GY$60 billion when it was GY$200,000 per household. 

He shrugged off calls by the opposition for exorbitant cash grants, insisting that such an approach could lead to an insecure future. “There will be the populist sentiments out there that you must guard against and don’t succumb to it especially when you are in an electioneering environment, when you’re months or a year away from an election,” he said.

Guyanese are due to go to the polls in late 2025 to elect a government of their choice.